


Just Hear Me! (Mike Schmidt x Abused! Reader)

by HeyitsSmile



Category: Five Nights at Freddy's, Mike Schmidt - Fandom
Genre: 3rd person, Cross-Posted on Wattpad, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, F/M, Graphic Description, It's gonna be fine, Maybe - Freeform, Mike has head trauma, Physical Abuse, Rape/Non-con Elements, Reader-Insert, Rebornica's FNAF, Romance, Slow Burn, Slow To Update
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-19
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-14 21:01:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 26
Words: 33,349
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29548305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HeyitsSmile/pseuds/HeyitsSmile
Summary: This story follows Rebornica's designs of the characters and general headcanon. Yes, I do know the actual canon story to FNAF, but I kinda prefer the headcanon version.There are other specifications about artistic liberties I will be taking in the story within the first chapter, so please read that before telling me off for not being 'canon'.FNAF and basically all characters mentioned belong to Scott.The designs + the separate ideas of Phone Guy (Scott) and Purple Guy (Vincent) belong to Rebornica.Story and some characters belong to me.You belong to you.Enjoy.Originally on Wattpad (Also @HeyitsSmile), but I'm going to double post here, on the off-chance the the company buy-out causes fanfictions to be deleted. (I'm sure it won't, but might as well share it here anyway).
Relationships: Mike Schmidt (Five Nights at Freddy's)/Reader
Comments: 9
Kudos: 18





	1. The Dreaded First A/N (Because I guess I can't have a chapter 0)

**Alright so, I'm gonna specify some things about this story so we're all clear.**  
  


Yes, you may have seen this on Wattpad. I'm cross-posting it, for reasons specified in the story description.  
  


* * *

  * I do know the lore of the games, I've watched the MatPat videos that are basically confirmed canon by Scott.  
  

  * I know Phone Guy and Purple Guy are the same person and that purple guy's name is William Afton, not Vincent.  
  

  * I know that Mike Schmidt was not the 87' victim. (In this story he is)  
  

  * I know that 'regular' Foxy did not cause the bite, too. ( _It was Toy Foxy/Playtime Foxy, i.e. Mangle. I think at one point I almost called him **Funtime** Foxy, but that's Sister Location's Foxy._)  
  

  * I know that FNAF 2 stars Jeremy, and that it takes place around ~1987~. FNAF 2 takes place before FNAF 1 in the timeline, and that still holds true in this story. So does the basic timeline. It's just pushed forwards a few decades (i.e., FNAF 2 takes place in about 2019, and FNAF 1 takes place in, about, 2023..ish).



Basically, the bite takes place in 87', yes, but we're saying that it was Mike as a kiddo, and that the current year is 2019. Mike was 8 at the time of the bite, making him around 24 in the story. _Also, I do know that victims of frontal lobe damage/removal don't feel fear, anxiety, hesitation, as well as a plethora of other things such as dementia, slower motor skills, impaired judgement, etc,. Due to this, Mike will, in the story, only have frontal lobe damage. I'll do my best to remember to write in impairments, but he won't be reckless and stupid like a regular person missing a frontal lobe. The best you'll probably get out of me is anger issues and alcohol abuse._

Due to me being absolute garbage, we will be throwing some of these stipulations out.

 **Here's the sitch, i.e. story stuff** :

We're basically following Rebornica headcanon lore because that's what I grew up with- yes, FNAF has been around long enough to say that I've grown up with it.

It's 2019, Mike has taken over night-shift for Jeremy, who was running out of pants to piss, and thus switched to day-shift. After deciding that one person was not enough to watch over, like 11 animatronics, the boss decided to be not-so-heartless-and-stingy and hire an assistant night guard. The rest will surely unfold within the story. Mike is 24, and you are 23. You live with your abusive boyfriend, Lukas.  
  


**TL;DR - Basically all Rebornica headcanon but it's 2019 in FNAF 2's location. Got it? Good. Actually read through like a good little asshole if you're confused during the story. Also don't expect consistent updates or perfect writing.**

**Also, TW for some possible gore, suicide stuff/self harm, abuse stuff and lemon stuff. You're the one who clicked on an 'x Abused! Reader', not me.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I should specify - You are female. Sorry guys, but females tend to be the main readers of these stories. :')
> 
> You probably know 'insert character here' (Y/N = Your Name) conventions by now, but I will specify when need be within the story when the convention is specific, such as F/F/P = Favorite Flavor Pizza, or something like that.
> 
> These chapters are being directly copy/pasted from Wattpad to here, and tend to run around 1000 words long.

A husband and wife, two kids and a dog. This is what is considered to be the Nuclear Family model, the American Dream, a Suburban Paradise. This is what the idea image of a family is, a happy relationship full of care, love and hope. This is the life that (Y/N) had always wanted. Peaceful and happy, even if it was basic and dull. However, despite her desires for the perfect relationship, she had nothing near that. Instead of living in the average two-story, brick and siding house, she lived in a small, one bedroom, one bathroom apartment, which she shared with her boyfriend, Lukas (sorry if that name is important to you, just pretend its a different name if so). Instead of their.. cozy little apartment being filled with the laughter of kids and the barking of a cute little dog, it was filled with yells of rage and the slamming of doors, and sometimes even the shattering of glass.

Lukas and (Y/N)'s relationship was not conventional in the slightest, (Y/N) often times too afraid to leave the house with her bruises, and Lukas gone half the time, mostly at work, or the local pub. Despite his absence most of the day, (Y/N) never dared to leave, or dared to run, or dared to cry for help. She didn't want to upset Lukas. Despite his abuse, she didn't hate him. She loved him as much as she did when they had first started dating. It was the damnedest thing, really- to love someone who so obviously didn't give an inch of sympathy to you. 

Today, Lukas had just gotten home from work, a plastic bag of groceries in one hand, and a case of Natural Light in the other, a newspaper and some other assorted mail stuck under his armpit. (Y/N) sat up straight on the couch, hands folded in her lap, the television in front of her off, the apartment around her clean from top to bottom so that it met his standards when he returned. He dropped off his bag on the kitchen counter, which (Y/N) rushed to put away for him, while he shoved the case into the refrigerator. She dug into the bag, carefully pulling out a pack of Oreos, two frozen pizza boxes, and a pack of Newport Red cigarettes.

She quietly put away the pizzas in the freezer, and the cookies in the snack cupboard, before turning to him quietly, awaiting his next command like a loyal dog. He grabbed one of the envelopes that had come in the mail from their apartment management, and his expression went a tad sour. He opened it up and read through, before looking up at her. 

"You know," he started, "I've been working my ass off lately to keep you fed and warm, and anymore, you do nothing but get in my way. I think that it's about time you get off of your lazy ass and find a job."

Lukas kept a calm stance and expression, but his tone gradually got louder and more aggressive as he spoke. "Rent went up," he said, "And unless you only want to eat three meals a week, I suggest you get to work finding a job. There's probably something in the job section of the newspaper for you to do."

He turned to go sit in the living room area of the apartment, turning on the television and putting his feet up on the coffee table, "If I find out that you aren't looking for a job, I'm gonna beat your ass." He finished, before focusing on what was playing on TV. (Y/N) stood quietly in that spot for a few moments, before hesitantly grabbing the newspaper and flipping to the job section. A job, huh? Lukas is well-off, and can easily afford a measly raise in rent.. Any job that I get, he would probably deny me due to it not being to his standards anyway.. she thought as she looked over the offers. Office assistant? The location is too far- she doesn't have a car.. Janitor for a local bakery? Lukas would be concerned about other guys hitting on her.. Hmm... House Cleaning for a local motel? She already did enough cleaning, what with Lukas's entitled, dirty way of living- leaving dishes in the sink, clothes on the floor, hair in the drains.. Assistant Security Guard at Freddy Fazbears Pizzeria? That one seemed to be the best candidate when it came to local gigs. It's minimum wage, and she'd be working primarily with kids and families, which means that Lukas wouldn't worry about her getting hit on.

To her, when she heard 'security guard', it seemed that all she would have to do is stand around and break up the occasional soccer-mom fight, and the not-as-occasional fight between kids. It seemed perfect for her, she hesitantly walked up to the couch, watching the TV behind Lukas until it went to commercial, before quietly pointing the offer out to him.

Lukas grabbed the newspaper from (Y/N), looking over the offers, before looking back at the one she had pointed out. "Freddy Fazbears, huh? Looks okay, I guess. I don't understand how those workers can handle those snot-nosed little shits all day, but if it makes you money, I really don't care. Looks like they prefer walk-in interviews over online applications, so if you wanna get there to apply before they close.." He looked over at the wall clock hanging on the wall next to the door and between the kitchen, "You better start walking," He finished with a snicker, before looking back at the television.

(Y/N) looked at the time as well, seeing that it was around 7pm, and since the store closed at 9pm, and she was a fair distance away on foot, that she should indeed start walking. At this point, she honestly didn't expect him to driver her, and she wouldn't dare even think of asking to take the car. So, after putting on some comfortable walking sneakers and a jacket, she started to head out that way and into the crisp September air.


	3. Chapter 3

The walk to the pizzeria was cold against (Y/N)'s face as she walked, winter seeming to have started to creep its way, uninvited, into the fall months. She did her best to pull her jacket's hood farther over her face as she walked, only for it to impair her peripheral vision and freeze her hands- so she shoved her hands away in her pockets instead. She was almost to Fazbear's anyway, and could warm up once inside. 

After a few more chilly minutes, (Y/N) finally arrived to the Fazbear lot, heading towards the building with a small smile. This place had been around for a decent while, and as she stepped inside, the smell of pizza and familiar singing of animatronics filled the air, allowing a few nostalgic memories to flood back to her. This place was pretty dear to her heart, having been the setting of one of her most memorable birthdays, and somewhere that she would hang out into her teen years with friend for cheap pizza and arcade games. She looked around, taking in the main room with the main three animatronics and a diner-esque set up for people coming in without a party in mind. 

After a few moments of gawking, (Y/N) slowly made her way over to the closest employee- a younger gal, probably a teenager, with a short hair cut and lip rings, and her name tag read 'Crystal'. (Y/N) approached her, quietly and, rather awkwardly, standing near Crystal until getting her attention. In all honesty, _(I̶,̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶w̶r̶i̶t̶e̶r̶ )_ (Y/N) hadn't realized Crystal was a female until reading her name tag, relived that she had caught herself before speaking with her. After a few moments, Crystal looked up at (Y/N), pausing for a short moment, before standing up straight to address her with a smile, "Hey, you needing something, or is my cleaning that good?" She joked, making (Y/N) become a tad flustered in embarrassment. 

"I was hoping to find the hiring office," (Y/N) said quietly, looking away. "I'm looking at that open security guard position.."

Crystal raised her eyebrows at this, but nodded, turning and waving as a signal for (Y/N) to follow her. She quickly did, and Crystal started to lead her towards the kitchen area. "I'm Chris, by the way. I'm, like, the only janitor here that does their job. Half the time, other employees- waitresses, mostly -have to stay after their shift to pick up and get the restaurant ready for the next day. Depending on your shift, you probably won't have to do any of that. You're probably looking at night shift, and those buttheads ditch this place as soon as 6 a.m. strikes.. Though, makes sense- it's a little creepy, sitting alone in a quiet kids play place with those weird lookin' animatronics just starin' at you through the cameras.. Anyway, here we are."

(Y/N) had been so enthralled with Chris's short ramble about the place that she had nearly forgotten that she had led them to the office, which seemed to be set up at the back of the kitchen to keep customers out. After a short 'thank you', Chris headed back to work, leaving (Y/N) alone at the office door.. Well, not alone entirely. The kitchen staff bustled around her, doing their best to finish up orders and get them out before closing time, while others worked on cleaning up stations and getting things ready for fresh food prep the next morning. (Y/N) gulped back the ball of anxiety forming in her throat, gently knocking on the door. After a bit of shuffling, she heard a gruff 'come in', which she quickly obeyed, sliding inside and closing the door behind her. A larger man in a nice businessy suit and matching hat, though it seemed not to be tailored to him. _This was a pizzeria owner, after all, not a mob boss_ _(c̶o̶u̶g̶h̶ ̶c̶o̶u̶g̶h̶), so you wouldn't expect him to have money to throw on tailored suits._

While she was having that small mental debate, the man looked her up and down, before clearing his throat to get her attention, and gesturing to a chair settled in front of his desk. She snapped out of her loss in train of thought, sitting where he had willed her to. She settled in the chair, having a hard time looking him in the eyes as he started to question her visit.

"So, what can I do for you, young lady?" He said, arms resting nonchalantly on his desk, folded for him to lean on. "You looking to book a party or something? Because you could have just done that online.."

He smiled patiently as she replied, "Oh, no. I saw the ad for an open security guard position in the newspaper about an hour ago, and decided to come down to ask about the position before you guys closed.." She paused for a moment, rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly, "I don't have much experience with being a security guard, but I was a babysitter and I've worked in fast food, so I assume I know most of what I need for the job.."

The man, Byron, assuming that was his name from a custom name plaque on the desk and the certificates of food handling and child safety around the walls behind him, leaned forward a bit on his arms, eyebrows knitting at what she had said. "The security guard position?" He echoed quietly, then nodded, "You mean the assistant night guard, right? I don't have any day-shift positions open, so you would be working from midnight to 6 a.m.. It's kind of a draining job if you aren't much of a night owl, though. Knowing this, are you still interested? I'm actually a little desperate for someone to fill that position, you see. No one wants the graveyard shift, save for the three dedicated night guards that I do have. If you say yes, it's basically a guaranteed job."

(Y/N) considered his words for a moment. _Graveyard shift, huh? Lukas wouldn't like that, surely. But, I'm practically being begged to take it..._ Night shift seems easy though- who would break in to a pizzeria? It definitely seemed worth the money..

(Y/N) nodded shortly, and smiled a bit. "I think it would be a good opportunity for me. I prefer night-shift anyway. But, I'll have to bring it up with my boyfriend. Is it alright if I call you tomorrow with my answer? I'm sure it'll be yes."

Byron stood, nodding softly while grabbing one of the Fazbear business cards from the holder at the edge of the desk, going to hand it to her, before pausing. He set it face-down, grabbing a pen and scribbling his number. "I'll be available to talk tomorrow between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m.. By chance if I can't take a call with the location number, just shoot me a text over my personal cell and we can arrange a proper interview where I can get your size for a uniform shirt and your paperwork- your W-4 form, a proper application so I can have any information I might need, a safety waver and so on. But, you best get going- We're gonna close up shop for customers soon,"

(Y/N) happily took the business card, looking down at it. On the front, it had the Freddy name and animatronic manufacturer, Afton Robitics, as well as bullet-points saying that it was a great place for birthdays, celebrations and even regular meals, that it had an arcade and animatronics. It also listed a phone number, e-mail address and location address. Along the upper right corner was a cartoon picture of Freddy's head. She smiled a bit, before looking to him, "Thank you. I'm (Y/N), by the way. Sorry for not introducing myself sooner."

Byron gave a short nod, "I'm Byron- it's nice to meet you, but you better get going. You don't want to get locked in, haha." He smiled and led her out of the office, through the kitchen and to the main stage room, where parents and kids were leaving in groups at employee's requests. (Y/N) followed them out with a final wave to Byron, before heading towards home. Hopefully this will be okay with Lukas...


	4. Chapter 4

(Y/N) slowly approached Lukas's apartment building, pausing in the middle of the parking lot with a bit of a sad expression. She had enjoyed the warm, happy atmosphere of the restaurant so much that she had forgotten the subtle dread that was always seemed to blanket her whenever she was near. She started to space out at the thought, only to be yanked from her mind-space by a car honking. When she looked around, she realized that she had been in someone's car's way, and quickly sidestepped to let them through, face turning pink in embarrassment. She glanced back the car, only to see the driver staring back at her. A decently thin, taller man in a button-up and tie, and a matching 'Security' hat, as well as a dull, sour expression aimed at her. After seeing this, she quickly turned to head back upstairs, while he took off from the lot, in the direction that she had just come from.

She headed inside, through the lobby and to the stairs, the elevator still out of service, as it had been for the past month and a half. Not that she minded, since Lukas always had her use the stairs whenever she left, so that she could burn calories as she came and gone. It was selfish of him, really- she was a healthy size, and what he wanted from her wasn't really possible, without even considering the fact that her diet consists of what _he_ wants to buy, which tends to be junk food and frozen meals ( _Not that she would be any better if she bought her own food. That kind of stuff is cheap and easy, unlike actually healthy foods_ ). 

Once she reached the fifth floor, she slid out of the stairwell and towards his apartment. _515_ , she thought to herself. Despite having spent so much time here, she nearly never left, and had to focus on getting the right apartment. Once she reached the door, she took a deep breath and let it out, before knocking softly. Without a cellphone, she had to hope that her knocking was enough to wake him, had he fallen asleep or gotten drunk. Why didn't she have a cellphone again? 

About a year before, they had gotten into an argument. Lukas was sure that (Y/N) was texting another guy, despite it very obviously being her friend Amy from highschool. (Y/N) swore up and down that she would never talk to another guy, and that he could call the number to prove it. He did, and was greeted by Amy's boyfriend, who said that Amy wasn't available when asked. Lukas snatched up the phone and hung up, before getting pissy that it was _another woman's boyfriend_ who had answered, instead of Amy herself, and had thrown the phone hard at the wall. 

she had went to retrieve the now-broken device from the floor, he grabbed her hair and pulled her away from it, a choked sob escaping her as he threw her to the ground behind him. He stomped on her stomach hard, and she gagged, hands flying to her mouth to keep herself from throwing up. After two more stomps to the stomach and one to the chest, he had grabbed her yet again by the hair, dragging her to the hall way closet. This was her time-out room of sorts, since it locked from the outside, and the light switch was on the outside. He threw her inside and closed the door, locking it up and keeping the light off.

(Y/N) cried out and swore that she would never talk to Amy's boyfriend again, that she'd never talk to any guy except him, that she was sorry and would do anything, fists rapping against the wooden door. Lukas held the door shut, growling at her to shut up before the neighbors heard. After a few minutes, he slowly let go of the locked door, walking away to get himself a drink, leaving her a sobbing mess on the floor. That was around mid-afternoon. He came back to let her out at midnight, claiming he had forgotten and that he was 'sorry'. She hugged him, forgiving him. Of course she forgave him- she didn't have anywhere to run if she didn't.

It doesn't matter now. She'd been fine without a cellphone this far, and she had the landline if she ever really needed to call someone. Either way, she was starting to get antsy, being locked out in the hall, knocking again but louder, hoping that Lukas would hear her. After a few moments, the door opened, and Lukas peeked out. He narrowed his eyes at her and pulled her inside.

"Where the hell have you been!?" he yelled, holding on to her by her collar. She gasped, hands reaching to pry his off of her jacket. 

"I-I went to that pizzeria.. to a-apply for the job," she said, quiet and shaky, tears finding their way to her eyes as his grip tightened. 

"And what could have possibly taken so long then, huh? Let me guess, there was an old friend there _by_ _coincidence_ and you decided that talking to them was _more important_ than coming home to me, RIGHT!?" He shook her, her arms moving up to protect her face. She could smell the alcohol in the room, and knew that he was nowhere near being in the right state of mind. She sobbed in his grip, softly repeating that she was sorry over and over again, that she tried to hurry, that she got the job- still, he wouldn't listen, so eventually, she went quiet so he could rant and get it out of his system.

After about an hour of being shouted at and almost getting her ass beaten, (Y/N) was sitting in the closet yet again. This place.. She couldn't stand it. Whenever she went near it, her head pounded. She could never bring herself to clean it, save for the one time she had peed herself when he wouldn't let her out to use the bathroom. Inside, it smelled faintly of fabreze and dust, and she could make out the outline of the two coats hanging on the end of the hanger pole with what little light seeped through the crack between the door and floor. Wiping her face again, she settled into the corner, tears having stopped coming after about 45 minutes in the closet. 

(Y/N) waited another half hour, nearly falling asleep, when she heard the handle jiggle and the door unlock, Lukas's form blocking most of the light coming in as he stood in the doorway, waiting for her to get up. She quickly did, throwing herself against his chest in a tight hug, burying her face in his shirt. He rested his arms around her, one hand reaching to pet her hair. He placed a soft kiss on her forehead, before quietly leading her to the bedroom so that they could sleep off the stress. (Y/N) caught sight of the clock on the bedroom dresser as she passed, seeing that it was about midnight. At least she'll get some decent sleep now.


	5. Chapter 5

Light seeped through the cracks between the blackout curtain and the wall from the window across from the bed, a beam of sun hitting (Y/N)'s face in just the right angle to wake her up. She moved her face out of the way, murmuring under her breath as she glanced around the room. She took note of the time, 5:48, and sat up, stretching and untangling her legs from the duvet. It was chilly in the room, and having changed from jeans to plush shorts to sleep, it was very cold against her exposed legs.

(Y/N) glanced to the bed, to the empty space beside her, concluding that Lukas was gone to work. She didn't mind. She had some cleaning up to do and an interview at Freddy's, so she had no time to worry about where he was. She stood, heading to get some breakfast from the kitchen, grabbing a box of (Favorite Cereal). She poured herself a bowl, and went to grab milk, only for it to be gone. She sighed, closing the refrigerator, reaching for a pen to add milk to their shopping list.

After pouring her cereal back into the box and rinsing the bowl of cereal dust, (Y/N) decided to instead focus on cleaning and getting washed up. She had to put some furniture back into place, and sweep and vacuum where she had found a broken beer bottle near the trashcan. She never really minded the cleaning much, as long as she didn't have to clean her own blood off of the walls, she was fine.

Soon, she was done with housecleaning and went to wash up, heading to the bedroom to look for something nice to wear to the interview. She dug through her two drawers worth of clothes, soon finding a desaturated (Favorite Color (F/C)) three-quarter sleeve sweater that had a folded white collar. She set it to the side, grabbing some plain black skinny jeans and some high-top black tennis shoes. She grabbed some socks and other clean undergarments for herself, before heading to the bathroom to wash and make herself look decently presentable.

☆☆☆

After a bit of cleaning up and dressing, (Y/N) slipped out of the bathroom, hair wrapped in a towel while she went to pass some time. Freddy's didn't open until 8 a.m., and it was only about 7:30 a.m., so she had some time to kill, especially since it was pretty chilly in the mornings, and she'd prefer that it be decently warm before she headed out.

About an hour or so after sitting down to relax, (Y/N) headed to the bathroom to style her hair. She pulled it back into a ponytail, letting her natural curls show. _(If you have short hair, just leave it as is/curl it)._ She looked into the mirror at herself, smiling a bit. She looked nice, dressed in business casual and was ready for that interview. She wasn't able to talk to Lukas about it, but she was so close to having the job that he might just have to suck it up. He'd be in bed by the time she left and off to work by the time she had returned, so he would barely notice her early morning absence anyway.

9 a.m. rolled around soon enough, and (Y/N) was out the door, happily heading towards Freddy's. She had paperwork in hand and a polite smile ready for the interview. The air was crisp and warm from the sun patches that came through the clouds. Though the early morning Sunday breeze was chilly, (Y/N)'s jacket kept her mostly warm, and soon enough she had arrived to her destination. It was a decently long walk, just like last time, so she would probably have to get some sort of transportation if she wanted to get back and forth without an hour's worth of walking time in between.  
Now at the pizzeria, it was around 9:30, and it was packed with kids, screaming and laughing and singing with the robotic band. She smiled at the sight. (Y/N) had always enjoyed kids, but she could never imagine herself having kids. Not with Lukas, at least. She didn't want them growing up to be like him.

After spacing out at the thought, she was jerked back into reality as a kid bumped into her. He said sorry and ran off before she could even react, but it made her realize that an adult woman standing alone in a kid's pizzeria staring at nothing is really creepy, and that's she should make her way to the back office. Though, thinking about it, she had forgotten to call to schedule the appointment. She felt bad for just walking in, but hopefully it wouldn't weigh down her chance to get a job.

She slid into the kitchen, hands firmly to her side to avoid touching anything _(surely this setup was a health violation)_ , before knocking at Byron's door. After a few moments of shuffling papers, he gave a firm 'come in', which prompted her to open the door, slip inside, and close it behind her.

Byron slowly looked up at her, cigar in his mouth, though he quickly put it out in an ashtray on his desk when he realized just who it was. "Oh, oh (Y/N), I didn't realize you were coming. Please, have a seat. You ready for the interview? It shouldn't be too hard."

(Y/N) quietly took a seat in front of Byron, who took a moment to look through a short, desk-side filing cabinet for some paperwork. Once he found what he was looking for, he passed it to her for her to fill out, as well as a pen, telling her that she could work on it while they talked. 

☆☆☆

After about a half an hour of interviewing and filling out paperwork, (Y/N) handed over what she needed to, and Byron started to put what he needed into the computer stationed on the left side of his desk. After some waiting and staring at the ceiling, he turned to (Y/N), smiling a bit.

"I think that you've gotten yourself a job, (Y/N). I can get you your uniform shirt, but you have to provide your own black slacks or jeans- the ones you're wearing now are alright- and some non-slip black tennis shoes. If you can do that, we can get you scheduled."

(Y/N) grinned, nodding, "I have some shoes at home that should work. When are you wanting me to start?"

Byron nodded, looking down at his scheduling book, then back at her, "I can start you tomorrow night, if that's alright. You'll work all but Sunday night, which comes with possible health care and the such. That's generally for our full timers, which aren't many people here. However, if you work tomorrow night, you'll be meeting one of them."

(Y/N) nodded, processing the information given. So, she would work every night, 12-6, except for Sunday nights. That sounded good. She nodded at Byron's terms, and he grinned a bit.

"Alrighty them, Miss (Last/Name). You said that you're a (Small/Medium/Large/etc) in shirt, correct? I'll go grab that for you, and you can go sit in the stage room while you wait. If you end up taking full time, you have to work in there every so often when people call off, so you might as well get to know it."

Just as they did last time, Byron led (Y/N) out through the kitchen to the main restaurant, letting her go check out the stage and kids cove while he headed to the security office to grab her uniform. This place was warm and fun, this job was gonna be easy, and would take her away from the hefty stresses of home... Or so it seemed.


	6. Chapter 6

The walk home was nicer than the last, since the setting sun still allowed it's warm rays to penetrate the atmosphere and land in different spots on the sidewalk that (Y/N) had to take home. It was calm and quiet, save for the occasional birds chirp or car passing.

However, despite the peaceful walk home, that feeling of dread that came over her every time she saw Lukas's apartment building kept up with its impeccable timing, hitting (Y/N) and bringing down her mood like a punch to the gut.

Her grip on her new uniform and personal paperwork tightened as she approached the building. She knew Lukas wouldn't be home yet. She didn't see his car, and he worked until about 7 p.m. anyway, after taking on three extra hours from a promotion offer that he had accepted without asking her if she was alright with it. At first, she wasn't. However, that was when... _When he actually cared_ , she thought. He said that he was sorry, and felt guilty for not asking her. Soon enough, she had accepted it, and didn't bother asking whether he would still be coming home three hours later after the fifth or sixth time.

She noticed the car she had accidentally blocked from leaving the lot while daydreaming parked next to Lukas's spot, and felt her face to a little pink in embarrassment. She not only had annoyed her apartment neighbor, but her _next-door_ neighbor, since the parking spots were numbered according to room.

The thought that he was right next door led her to the idea that he might hear the fighting between her and Lukas, and she felt her heart swell with guilt. _It must be very bothersome to him,_ she thought as she slid into the apartment lobby and towards the stairwell, head down, eyes failing to focus on anything important, until she felt someone's arm brush against hers. She paused, looking behind her to see that man walking downstairs. Instead of his work uniform, baring many similarities to hers, he was in a grey sweater and deep grey sweatpants, as well as a grey beanie. He had his keys in hand, his mailbox key sticking out between his index and middle finger so he didn't have to search for it again on his key-ring, which had a decent amount of keys on it, as well as a car key fob and a Fazbear key-chain.

She stared for a few moments, and he paused at the bottom of the stairs, sneaking a glaring glance over his shoulder at the girl clearly staring holes in the back of his head. She became a bit flustered as his glare met her gaze, and quickly turned to continue up the stairs. He watched for a moment, before turning with a sigh to continue through the lobby.

Once back to the apartment, (Y/N) unlocked the door and slid inside. She was never given a key to the apartment room, mostly due to her nearly never leaving, and him not seeing necessary to get a new key made for her. However, he had two keys, one he had on him, and the other he had forgotten about after moving in, having shoved it into the kitchen's designated junk drawer. She had found it while organizing, and kept a hold of it, just in case. Now that she had a job, she would tell him that she had come across it while cleaning, and ask if she could use it for work. At least, she'd ask once he was home.

Once inside of the apartment, she put her jacket in the bedroom closet and her personal papers away in a locker piggy bank that she had from high school. It used a combination and could fit a decent amount inside, so it was a sufficient vault for things like her valuables or important documents. She kept it in the bedroom closet, above the small section dedicated to anything that she had to have hang in there.

Once she had put everything away, she did a scan of the apartment, making sure that there was nothing she would have to clean, before turning to make herself a sandwich. She hadn't eaten that morning, and didn't have money for anything at Fazbear's, so her stomach was rumbling even at the suggestion of food. She grabbed bread and other ingredients that she needed to create her preferred sandwich, putting them together in just the right order to create the tastiest looking sandwich could muster. It wasn't much, but it was honest work. She enjoyed her culinary masterpiece while curled up on the couch, watching her guilty pleasure show, (Favorite Show). She had already seen the episode, but the entire series was enough of a banger to watch reruns without getting bored.

Time seemed to fly fast, and (Y/N) barely noticed. She had gone to look for something else to watch, her show having finished its airtime for the day, and when she looked at the guide, she found that it was already 6:30. Lukas would be home in half an hour, and she had no dinner plans.

She quickly stood, rushing to the kitchen to search the freezer and fridge, as well as the cabinets. She found a few things that sounded good, mostly _Hamburger Helper_ -esque food boxes. She was able to get together a few ingredients- tomato sauce, a can of kidney beans, garlic and chili powder, ground beef, cheese and a bag of _Frito_ chips. Alone, these items didn't sound all too appealing. Actually, cheese and _Fritos_ sounded quite alright, but either way, all of the ingredients could be cooked together to make a pretty good Texas skillet dish- one of the only recipes (Y/N) had retained by memory from high school foods class. She was missing a few ingredients, but nothing integral to the final dish _(I'm looking at you, onion, you_ _eye-burning_ _douche_ _)._

She quickly got out a skillet and started the stove, mixing the ingredients in as she remembered them, though nearly forgetting to crush the chips, which acted as a crust for the final product.

(Y/N) was mere minutes from the food being finished, occasionally stirring the mixture, as she heard the door open behind her. She glanced over her shoulder at Lukas, plastering on a very polite yet very fake smile, before turning back to her food. She turned it off of heat, sprinkling the cheese and chip crumbles over it, only to feel a pair of arms snake around her waist, and a chin rest on her shoulder.

Lukas stared over her shoulder, a big dopey grin over his face as he took in the aroma of the food before him. His hands gently squeezed her sides, and she had to hold herself back from pushing him away or shuttering. He never really touched her so intimately anymore, ever since that promotion. At first, she didn't like that she was being ' _romantically_ ' neglected, but as the abuse became a daily routine, she preferred that his dick not come within twenty feet of her while hard. They still had sex, every few weeks, but she was never happy with it, and he never tried even to satisfy her anymore. Not that she cared, anyway. She didn't need him or his man-junk. But, in the back of her mind, she always sort of missed how sweet and intimate he could get in the bedroom.

She mentally shook her head. Now was not the time for those thoughts. The past is gone, and he didn't have any time to be that passionate with her anymore. It was just something she had accepted.

✰✰✰

(Y/N) quietly passed Lukas a plate of her home cook, as well as a fork and a beer, before going to settle down on a recliner with her own plate. However, Lukas stopped her, telling her to sit beside him instead. She did as she was told, but otherwise didn't acknowledge him unless he spoke to her first.

Lukas looked down at the girl he had his arm around, noticing her attire. He stiffened a bit, arm tense around her shoulder. She noticed his quick change in mood, looking up at him for some sort of reason why he was suddenly irritated.

"L-Lukas?" (Y/N) asked reluctantly, only for him to reply with a stern, "You left the house today without my permission. Where the hell did you go?"

"Yeah. I got a job, just like you asked" she said quietly, eyes averting themselves from his face to her lap. "I start tomorrow night.."


	7. Chapter 7

(Y/N) glanced back up at him nervously as he tried to figure out what exactly to say. He smiled a bit, nodding, "Yeah? And where are you working now?" He purred in an almost sarcastic tone.

"Freddy Fazbears. I went in and did an interview today. They were really desperate for night shift security, so I'll be working 12-6.. but we'll see each other in the evening!" (Y/N) rambled nervously, not wanting to make him angry that she had taken the job without him approving her hours. 

"My uniform is in our bedroom," She finished quietly.

Lukas eyed (Y/N) with a smirk, "So you really got a job, huh? Maybe we should celebrate~" he purred as he leaned in, pressing a few kisses to her neck. She shivered under him, hesitantly shifting to lean away from him. He watched, almost puzzled as to why she wouldn't give him what she wanted. He was used to getting exactly what he wanted, when he wanted it, especially from her, that it baffled him that she would pull away. She kept her gaze away from him, a small frown having found itself on her face.

Lukas, annoyed with the behavior, grabbed her waist and pulled her back over to him, again making an attempt at her neck. She squirmed in his grasp, which only tightened, forcing her to stay fairly still for him.

"L-Lukas, no, I don't want to tonight-" (Y/N) whimpered, only to be pinned to the sofa, large hands groping at her hips, working to get her sweater up and off of her. Despite her struggle, he was able to get her shirt off, her arms quickly folding over her bra-clad chest, eyes squeezing shut in preparation for him to get more physically violent, something which was often his first reaction in disagreements.

He grabbed her arms, roughly pining them above her head, painfully yanking at the muscles in her shoulders while rendering her unable to defend herself. After promising that she wouldn't move, Lukas let (Y/N)'s arms go while he focused on getting his clothes off. Once he got to his jeans, he stood, unbuckling her belt and unbuttoning his pants, sliding them off.

(Y/N) took this opportunity to get off of the couch, booking it towards the bedroom, where she could lock herself in until he calmed down. However, he was quick to react, giving chase and grabbing her by the shoulders, slamming her against the wall with a cry of pain. She squirmed under his gaze as he pressed his knee to her back, using one hand to keep her arms held together and the other to unstrap her bra. She tried to break away, only for him to pull her away and slam her against the wall again. He grabbed her by the hair and threw her to the ground, giving a sharp kick to her side, before grabbing her by her hair and half dragging, half making her crawl back to the couch, where he set her aside to grab his belt.

(Y/N) leaned quietly against the couch, sobbing softly as he turned back to her, gesturing for her to get the rest of her clothes off. When she refused, he folded his belt over, hitting her across her bare back three times, leaving red marks over her (Skin Color) skin. She cried out in pain with each hit, arching her back.

She again squeezed her eyes shut, thinking about her next move. What could she do in such a position? She had to just grit her teeth and take it. She could scream, at least, and that helped relieve some of the tension.. Then she really thought about it. That guy next door, his glare, his sour attitude.. He was probably hearing all of this, maybe even trying to relax or sleep, and she wanted to be noisy because it helped her cope? The idea of doing something so selfish tugged at her heart, and just as she was about to look to Lukas for what was next, she felt that belt come down, full force, across her face. Her eyes widened, and and grit her teeth to the point of it hurting her mouth, collapsing onto the floor beneath him. He scoffed, nudging her shaking form with his foot, before rolling his eyes. Nose bleeding, lips quivering, she slowly looked up at him, tears running down her face.

"Just... Ugh, get yourself dressed already. I'm not in the mood anymore," He growled, grabbing his discarded clothes, before walking off to their bedroom. (Y/N) stayed on the ground for awhile, sobbing onto the floorboards, body trembling.

☆☆☆

(Y/N) sat up slowly from the couch, which had acted as her bed for the night after the fight. She glanced around tiredly, eyes landing on a note on the coffee table. She hesitantly grabbed it, looking over it.

" _(Y/N) - had to get to work before u woke up. wanted to say sorry. love u <3_" the note read, making an uncomfortable sickly feeling settle in her stomach. She tossed it aside and shifted to stand up. However, as she did, blood rushed to her head, forcing her to stay down as what was once a dull pounding in her head turned into a raging migraine. She whimpered, grabbing her head with one hand, using the other to stand herself up. She made her way to the bathroom to wash her face, only to see a sort of bruise left from the belt across her face. It was rectangular to match the belt's width and shape, along her left jaw. It was her skin color on the inside, but was red and purple around the edges. 

(Y/N) stared at the bruising on her face, then carefully brought her fingers up to touch it, only to flinch as soon as she did. She sighed, rubbing her eyes and going to check the time. It was around 7 a.m., so she had gotten a decent amount of sleep. At least she had that to help her with this upcoming night shift.

She turned away from the bathroom, instead making her way to the bedroom to get on a shirt and some comfortable sleep pants, before heading to the kitchen to get some food and water in her system.

☆☆☆

(Y/N) stared at her reflection in the mirror, that bruise making no effort to leave, despite her having ice on it nearly the entire day.

When Lukas had come home, he had not said a word to her, instead walking straight to the bedroom and secluding himself from her. He came back out around 8 p.m. for a beer, before going back to the bedroom. She didn't mind it, she could care less if he didn't talk to her for the rest of her miserable life.

Once the clock hit 11 p.m., (Y/N) had quickly gotten herself ready in her uniform, admiring it in the mirror, only to again catch sight of that bruise. She didn't want anyone to see that- It was utterly embarrassing to her, to have to wear that bruise across her jaw. She first grabbed for makeup, but nothing that she owned matched her skin color anymore, since it had turned pale from the lack of exposure to sunlight. When she decided that trying to make it work would be a bad idea, she moved on to trying to style her hair around it. She was able to find a decent work-around _(a left side, low ponytail for long hair, and a punk-ish comb-over for short) ,_ and started out the door.

She had a good feeling about this. This would be the one saving grace from her otherwise shitty life, seven hours _(including the walk)_ away from her personal hell hole. _Or so she thought._


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At the time of writing, I had just seen how the FNAF 2 office was laid out through the VR game, and that's how it is in this story. So from now on, when I describe the office, think of the VR Help Wanted FNAF 2 room setup.

_11:54,_ (Y/N) thought as she looked down at the watch she had borrowed from Lukas. He never used it anyway, so she thought that she might as well take it for the night, since she didn't have a phone. She didn't mean to cut it so close, but she was late out the door when she lost track of time, trying to figure out how to cover her bruising face. However, she was able to get inside, only to pause. 11:58, where is she supposed to go? She hesitantly started to make her way to the back of the store, where she would assume the security office would be, passing the stage as she did. Seeing those generally sweet-looking characters in moonlight and heavy shadows up there really unnerved her, but she just pushed though, making her way to the office just as the clock struck 12:00. Inside, sat a man. That same man that she had seen in his car and in the stairs. What a coincidence that he lived right next door. However, while she knew that, he probably didn't, right? He maybe knew Lukas did, but she never left, so surely he'd never even realize..

"Are you just gonna stand there all night, or are you gonna come in and sit down?"

The sudden gruff voice pulled her from her thoughts as her eyes again focused on the bald man before her, his security hat pulled down to cast shadow over his eyes. Her face flushed in embarrassment, and she sat down stiffly, lips pressed together tightly.

She sat in the seat left of him as he watched from the corner of his eye, most of her face hidden by her hair, which had been styled to her left. After a few moments, he became disinterested, not even bothering to ask her name as she quietly looked around the office.

"Er... I'm (Y/N)," she started quietly, turning a bit to look at him. He looked away from the computer on the desk, which showed the cameras views, and up to her. He held back a scowl, instead narrowing his eyes at her. She shrunk back in her seat, looking down at the floor.

"The name's Mike," he said simply in a harsh but quiet tone, "But you won't need to know that, since you're going to be quiet and stay quiet. Talking attracts ' _them_ ' towards the office,"

 _Them?_ she thought. _What does he mean by them?_ However, she decided against asking, instead hesitantly testing out what the button above the vent on her side of the room did. When she pressed it, a light came on in the vent below, making her arch an eyebrow in confusion. What could that be for? And.. an empty Bonnie head beside her chair? That's just downright creepy.

She carefully picked it up, setting it in her lap to get a look at it. It was blue, with red cheeks and large ears, just like the animatronic, but was missing it's eyes and jaw. Maybe they just kept the spare head in there? She glanced around, spotting a similarly discarded Freddy head, which Mike had situated right in front of him.

"That's in case of of the animatronics wander in here," he said quietly, making her jump in her seat, much to his amusement. He didn't smile or chuckle, but she was sure that he had gotten a kick out if it. She looked to him for further explanation, but he had already turned his focus to the large doorway in front of them, which she had come in through, pointing a flashlight down the hall.

There was nothing down said hall, so Mike again turned his attention to her, handing her a box. A music box? It was painted like a present box, wound up by a small crank on the side, and had a small digital screen on top that had a slowly dissipating circle.

"Ehm.. what do I do with this?" She asked quietly. He pointed to the screen, "When the circle gets too empty, crank this up. It keeps one of the animatronics out of the office." He said nonchalantly, as if it were more than obvious. She was confused.

"Why would the animatronics be back here?"

He rolled his eyes, giving a dry, humorless chuckle, "They never tell the new hires. Let me just say, it'll probably be the reason you quit. Those rosy cheeked fuckers and their older counterparts from our previous location are allowed to wander at night. They don't have a proper night mode, so they just try to find a room with someone in it."

He took a second to go quiet and check the lights to the vents and hall, and reminding her to crank the music box, before continuing.

"They perceive adults differently than kids, and if there aren't any kids to be found in the restaurant, they assume us adults are endoskeletons without costumes. That's against the rules, so they will try to put you in a suit. The suits are filled with crossbeams, wires and sharp metal, and so are the heads, so being put in one if those is certain death. They used to have suits that employees could wear, back in the diner before this became a popular chain, but those were discontinued after two employees were crushed to death by the springlocks in the suits,"

(Y/N) stared wide-eyed, mouth agape as he explained the hell she had just sighed up for. Mike again went quiet, both of them hearing a soft rumbling from the vent on her side. He checked the light, only for them to see Toy Bonnie's face peering up at them. (Y/N) went stiff in her chair, looking to Mike for an answer to this _obvious_ _problem_. He grabbed the empty Freddy head at his feet and put in on like a mask, before silently urging her to do the same. She obliged, getting it on. It was heavy on her, and pressed painfully against her bruise, but she bit her lip and just focused on the supposedly murderous bunny at their feet.

After a few moments with the mask on, Toy Bonnie crawled from the vents, his movements seeming much more life-like than what was presented on stage or around the kids, as if it were a person inside. He eye'd her and Mike quietly, cocking his head as he observed them. (Y/N) held her breath subconsciously, almost playing dead, limbs limp and chest still. Mike did the same, but it wasn't nearly as good as hers.

Toy Bonnie soon grew bored and agitated that there was no more sound, stocking down the hall in front of them. Once he was out of sight, the two let out their held breaths and removed their masks. (Y/N) quickly wound the music box, while Mike checked the cameras, both of them silent.

"You play dead well," Mike quietly mentioned, glancing to her for a reaction. Her hands seemed to tighten around the box in her hand, and she nodded silently.

"I, uh.. worked in a haunted house this last summer." She lied. However, he seemed to buy it, nodding shortly with a quiet "Cool," as his response.

☆☆☆

After the Toy Bonnie scare, no one else seemed to want to come out to bother the two back in the office. However, they had both gone pretty quiet, conversation wise, (Y/N) realizing pretty early in the night that small talk wasn't Mike's thing. It was nearly 6:00, mere minutes away from being able to leave. As 5:57 rolled around, Mike again checked the hall, finding a disheveled Foxy standing at the end. Fur red and matted, fabric torn, metal exposed- (Y/N) knew it was an old model from the previous location just by the unfriendly look of it.

She reached to grab her Bonnie head, only for Mike to stop her.

"The masks don't work on Foxy," he said, sounding tense and fairly unhappy to see this animatronic in particular. "You flash the flashlight a few times, and it disorients him. Same thing with the new Toy Foxy, though.. We just call him Mangle, and you'll see why when he tries to get in tomorrow."

With that, he flashed the flashlight as fast as humanly possible, still nervous to be facing this animatronic. Soon enough, the shredded fox had stocked off, and Mike let out a breath of relief. He then sat up, frowning a bit at how he had let his composure slip at such a minor incident. However, whenever he saw that stupid fox, he could feel his heart pound, and see his life flash before his eyes.

They were both brought out of their paranoid thoughts as the clock hit 6:00, and they both quietly stood, setting their tools on the desk before them. He looked to her, then started to walk out. She followed behind rather closely, hands balled and pressed to her chest in case one of the animatronics had decided to jump at her last minute. However, as they passed through the restaurant and got to the front, it seemed that all of the animatronics had made their way back to their designated areas, ready for another day of fun and singing.

Mike had stopped before the doorway, looking to see if morning staff were coming in to trade shifts. (Y/N) hadn't noticed his sudden stop, eyes still on the animatronics as she accidentally collided with his back. She stepped back with a soft ' _oomph, sorry_ ', becoming a bit flustered at her clumsy mistake. He turned and looked back at her, before flicking his wrist nonchalantly, with a cool "Don't sweat it."

As morning staff can in, her and Mike left. He headed towards his car, while she started walking. She walked for awhile, only for his car to pull up beside her, window down.

"You don't have a ride?" He asked, arm resting on the door. (Y/N) shook her head ' _no_ ', and he gestured for her to get in to his car. She shook her head again, and continued walking. He shrugged and took off, heading towards their apartment building.

She soon got home, seeing Mike's car parked in it's usual spot. She sighed, legs aching and her mind scolding her for not taking the ride offer. Soon enough she was inside, headed to her room.

It was quiet and oddly liberating, an entire night without her boyfriend in sight. She'd see him later. For now, she was more than ready to sleep. And so she did.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rebornica Jeremy has a question mark instead of eyes, so were gonna assume that little quirks like this are something that naturally occurs in this world.

(Y/N) stirred, slowly sitting up in bed. She looked around, almost confused as she popped her back and neck. What time was it? She slid out of bed and peeked out of the window, seeing the sun high in the sky. She stepped back and glanced at the clock, '3:48' displayed on the digital face. 

4:00 p.m.? She thought, almost baffled how she could sleep so long, before remembering that she had been up until about 7:00 a.m., meaning she slept around 9 hours. She smiled a bit, feeling refreshed from the sleep, happy knowing that she hadn't accidentally overslept. She slid out of the bedroom and went to the bathroom, stripping down to get into the shower.

After the refreshing shower, she stepped out and headed to the living room, wrapped in a towel. She headed to the kitchen to get some food, grabbing some instant ramen. Not the best breakfast, but it was the best she could do. As it cooked, she went to get dressed in something comfortable, before heading back out to turn on the TV and retrieve her food, as well as an ice pack to hold on her face, in hopes that the bruise would be gone by night. She sat with the bowl of noodles in her lap, a new episode of (Favorite Show) playing as she ate. The ramen was delicious, and the new episode introduced a new, interesting character. Everything seemed to be going nicely, and she still had three hours to herself until Lukas returned.

✰✰✰

It was about 8 p.m. now, and oddly enough, Lukas wasn't home. (Y/N) didn't mind, at first, before realizing it probably meant that he was out getting drunk at a bar. If he can back like that, he would get physical at the drop of a pen, which she wasn't looking forward to. If he was getting drunk, however, there was a chance that it was so work buddies, where he could pass out at one of their places instead.

In preparation, in case of Lukas's return, (Y/N) looked around the apartment for anything that might make him mad. She had her uniform hung and ready for the night, out of his way. The bed was made, his clothes were washed and put away. The kitchen and bathroom were spotless, and so were the bedroom and living room. She decided to vacuum a little, as well, with one of the most quiet vacuum's she could have bought, back when she was planning to go to college and needed to be able to keep the dorm clean without disturbing others.

After vacuuming, she swept up in the kitchen and bathroom, before making sure all of the food was in date in the fridge, throwing out whatever wasn't, then triple checking that the dishes were done. Then she dusted the ceiling fan in the living room and bedroom, as well as the TV's in the living and bedroom. After all of that, she took out the trash. Still, as 9 p.m. rolled around, there was still no sign of him, and she was starting to think that there wasn't going to be until the next day. So, she decided to go back to watching her show, fear of him coming home drunk still tugging at the back of her mind.

✰✰✰

(Y/N) glanced at the clock. '10:46'. She stood from the couch and headed to the bedroom to get dressed and ready for work, looking over where the bruise had been. It was much lighter, almost unnoticeable, she she decided to leave her hair as is, in a comfortable style. She headed out to see the time, '11:17' it read. She looked through the cabinets in the kitchen, finding a few candy bars. Lukas usually put them in his work lunch, but surely he wouldn't notice one or two missing. She grabbed two, one a (Favorite Candy Bar), another a _Hershey_ bar. She set them aside and carefully closed the cabinet, only to hear the door open from behind her.

She went stiff, head whipping around to see Lukas in the doorway, scratches on his face, hair and clothes disheveled. He looked drunk, and the smell of alcohol penetrated the air. He looked up at her, glaring at her.

"Whut th' f-uck do you thenk you'r doin'?" He slurred, stalking over to her, a little bit of a stumble in his steps. They both grabbed for the candy bars, her hand landing on the Hershey bar while his landed on her favorite. With what she could grab, she took off to the door, him chasing to stop her. She was out the door and down the hallway by the time he was able to comprehend which way was which, quickly starting down the stairs. She soon got to the lobby, a feat that would take him awhile, going down stairs in his drunken state. She took a second to breath, only to feel a hand on her shoulder, which made her jump in fear, before collapsing to the floor, arms crossed over her head with a squeal.

"(Y/N), are you.. okay?" Mike said softly, having retracted his hand after spooking her. After a few moments, she looked up at him, a few beads of sweat rolling down her forehead. He raised his eyebrows, reaching to help her up, which she gladly accepted.

"What were you running from?" He asked, folding his arms across his chest, waiting for an answer. She looked away, coughing lightly into her fist, "I thought I was gonna be late for work.." She lied, panting softly. He shook his head, looking down at his phone, "You have more than enough time to walk-" "Then my watch must be off.." She sighed, looking up at him, eyes pleading for him to stop asking questions and just believe her. 

She and him stared at each other for a few moments, his baby blue eyes scanning her expression, her (Eye Color) orbs glassy in the lobby's florescent lights. He sighed and shook his head again, before gesturing to the doors, "I'll give you a ride, so you aren't late."

She hesitantly nodded, following him out of the building and to his car. He opened the door for her, like a gentleman, before going to the drivers side. Once they were both inside and buckled up, he took off towards Fazbears. 

✰✰✰

Now at the restaurant, the they walked in, greeting Crystal, as well as a manager and cashier, Zach and Jeremy respectively, before heading to the back room. They settled behind the desk, (Y/N) turning on the monitors while Mike got out their masks and flashlights, as well as an extra battery pack that he had brought himself. 

(Y/N) looked over to the clock settled on the desk, noting out loud that it was 11:47, and that they had some time to relax. The three evening shifters came back to talk with Mike and (Y/N) for awhile, Zach and Jeremy introducing themselves. Zach was an older guy, blond hair and green eyes, with tanned skin. Jeremy, of course, had shaggy brown hair and.. A question mark, instead of eyes. He was soft spoken and shy, in contrast to Zach and Mike, who were much more confident as they spoke. Still, once that clock hit 11:55, they all filed out of the room with byes and see you laters, except for the two night shifters, who felt they had a long night ahead of them.


	10. Chapter 10

"Oh, hey, I grabbed this for you," (Y/N) said, breaking the quiet, gently pulling the _Hershey_ bar from her pocket. "I didn't know what you liked, so I got this, since chocolate is, uh, liked by most people and..." 

(Y/N) trailed off from what she had been saying, loosely holding out the chocolate bar for Mike to take. Luckily, it was still hard, not seeming to have wanted to melted in her pocket. He quietly reached out and took it, smiling a small bit.

"You didn't have to get me candy, but... thanks." He said quietly, before setting it on the desk in front of him. He'd eat it after work, and where he set it, it was directly in the fan's air path, keeping it cool and not letting it melt. (Y/N) nodded softly, his voice having broken her from her trance, it seemed.

Through the night, the animatronics were relatively quiet, save for a few scares- Old Bonnie and Old Chica making an appearance, leaving Mike to explain that they're the animatronics from the first pizzeria location they use for spare parts. Another was when Mangle had crawled into the room, getting relatively close to (Y/N)'s face, mouth wide open, only for Mike to grab their flashlight and flick it in Mangle's face.

Other than these few instances, the animatronics had been still, allowing Mike and (Y/N) to talk a bit, first about their interests, memories from when they were kids- particularly pertaining to Freddy Fazbears -and why they keep the job at Fazbears despite the dangerous conditions. Mike's reason was because he had personal loyalty towards the restaurant. (Y/N) went quiet at the question, so Mike spoke.

"You know, I've been here for awhile. I've always been night shift, and it's always kinda sucked, because I've always been.. alone. This is the first time that we've had two night people. It's just.. nice to have someone to talk to when this place gets quiet and stuff.." He looked over to her, before turning to check on the cameras.

"But, that really make me wonder.. were you _really_ running to get to work? I know you knew you had more than enough time to get here.. And even if you were late, why would you even want to be here that badly..?" Mike said quietly as he tapped absently the buttons to the camera set up, looking into each room quietly. (Y/N) stayed quiet, shifting uncomfortably in her seat, checking the lights to the vents and main hallway.  
  
"Mike, wind the music box," She said softly, breaking the sort of tense silence.

"What were you running from (Y/N)?"

"Can you please just wind the music box?

"I will if you tell me what was wrong!"

"Damn it Mike, it doesn't matter!" She yelled, jumping up and pushing Mike away to do his job for him, tears welling up in her eyes. He growled and stood, grabbing her by the shoulders and moving her away from the cameras, looking her in the eyes, anger burning in his own.

"It does! Tell me what the hell you were running for!"

"It's none of your _fucking_ business, Michael!"

As their commotion grew louder, (Y/N) started to hear something coming down the hallway, and something else through the vent behind Mike. She looked around frantically as Toy Freddy approached the office, and Toy Bonnie peeked his head in through the vent. They had both been attracted by her and Mike's arguing, surely. 

(Y/N) broke her arm away from Mike's grasp, grabbing her mask and quickly pulling it on. He was about to say something else, but stopped himself, grabbing his own mask. He went to put it on, only for it to be ripped from his hands by Toy Bonnie. He backed up towards (Y/N), only to bump into her, whipping around with fear painted on his face.

Then, the 6 a.m bell chimed through the office from the clock. Mike slowly turned his head to look at Toy Bonnie behind him, hand extended to grab him, frozen in time as his computer tried to process the time, and where he was. His eyes closed, then opened again, and he quietly walked out towards the stage. Toy Freddy, still idle in the hallway, seemed to hesitate, before following Toy Bonnie down the hall to the stage room.

Mike turned and looked at (Y/N) with a nervous smile, only for her to set her mask aside and head out of the office as well. His face dropped a bit, and he sighed, grabbing that candy bar and following her out. He shouldn't leave her waiting by the car for long, with how cold it was outside.

Mike headed outside, looking towards his car. No (Y/N). So, he looked up the sidewalk she usually took, seeing that she was already a decent ways away. He sighed and scratched under his hat, before readjusting it and heading towards his own car. He got inside and took off in her direction, cool wind blowing leaves across the road and sidewalk. He easily caught up with her and pulled over, rolling down his window in jerky motions.

(Y/N) started walking faster, and he called out to her.

"(Y/N), stop, wait-! It's too cold to walk-"

Despite his calls to her, she kept on, despite her shivering in the cold morning air. He lightly pressed his foot to the gas, allowing himself to follow her.

"Mike, please, I can walk myself home just fine. I'm not in the mood to talk."

"Then you don't have to. I didn't mean to push so hard for details. Just.. At least let me drive you home so you don't get a cold..."

(Y/N) stopped, and he put his foot on the break. She sighed and looked to him. That face he was making, guilty and a little sad, she couldn't stay angry at it. He was just trying to help. So, she turned and headed to the passenger side of the car. She slid inside and buckled up. He stayed on the side of the road for a moment, foot on the break, grabbing that _Hershey_ bar from the middle console of his car. He opened it up and broke off a piece, handing it to her. She denied, but he insisted with a small smile. After a few pleas from him, she sighed and took the chocolate, popping it into her mouth.

Mike turned up the heat in the car, pulling away from the curb, heading off towards their apartments. The chocolate melted in her mouth, and a purr rose in her throat. The chocolate was nice. The warmth from the car was nice. Mike was nice. _Mike is nice..._


	11. Chapter 11

Lukas had been so sweet when (Y/N) had first met him. A gentleman, sweet and quiet. He would drink on occasion, he had since junior year of high school, but he had never been so drunk that he would lose his inhibition. Even after they had begun their relationship, and after he had turned twenty one, he had stayed relatively calm with his drinking.. Until the past year or so, actually, after he had taken those extra hours at work.

(Y/N) had hated the extra hours away, until he had started to drink more than twice a week. He would push her away when she tried to get cuddly, and wouldn't listen when she talked to him. He lost his reasoning, and whenever she tried to stop him from drinking, he would lose his temper. It started with a back-hand across the face, and a barrage of apologies in the next day. She'd always accept the apology, waving it off and saying that she was fine. 

(Y/N) would always say that she was alright, and that her relationship was fine with Lukas when asked. She covered for his mistakes, make up lies for the bruises, and would have excuses for her lack of contact with the people around her. It all got worse once he had broken her phone, knowing that she had no way to call for help without him knowing.

She stayed, despite the risk, knowing that she was better off staying instead of running. He'd come after her, sure that she just didn't understand his stress, and that he'd be different for her, as long as she stayed with him _(and never left him)_.

✰✰✰

(Y/N) quietly unlocked her apartment door, slipping inside, before freezing in place, hand gripped around the door handle. Lukas was still here. He should be at work, unless it was his day off.. No, that was Sunday. It's only Wednesday.. He still fast asleep on the couch, beer bottles littering the coffee table, probably hung over from the night before. She hesitantly walked over to him, stopping in front of him, reaching in to gently shake him. At this point, he was about an hour and a half late, plus whatever time it took for him to wake and dress.

He slowly woke, groaning softly under his breath, eyes opening after a few moments. He stared up at her, blinking hard and rubbing his eyes, before opening them again to figure out what exactly was happening. He stared for a few moments more, before sitting up quickly, scrambling to get over to the bedroom to get dressed. She stood out of his way, instead turning her attention to the dirty coffee table. She threw out the bottles and empty cigarette pack, before wiping it down with a disinfectant wipe. She straightens up the couch and its matching pillows, and goes to make sure everything was tidy in the kitchen.

As she finished washing and drying her hands, Lukas rushed out of the bedroom and to the kitchen, grabbing his lunch from the fridge. He caught sight of her and paused, before hesitantly setting his bag aside and hugging her. She sat limp in his arms, and he kissed her forehead, before leaving with his lunch and a soft 'goodbye'. She stayed in that spot, watching after him quietly. She felt her chest tighten, and tears found their way to her eyes, a small smile finding its way to her face. One or two tears slid down her cheeks, but she was quick to wipe them away and go to then bathroom to shower and change for bed.

✰✰✰

(Y/N) stood quietly in the lobby of her apartments, staring out at the pouring rain. Of course it was raining again, but at least she had Mike as a ride. She just had to wait for him to come down. It didn't take long before he was downstairs, watching the downpour along side her. He reached out, gently touching her shoulder, making her physically cringe. He pulled his hand away, raising his eyebrows at her reaction.

"Are you alright?" He asked quietly. She turned to him, nodding softly, smiling a little bit. He hesitated, but nodded in return. He didn't wanna scare her off by asking questions. He turned to look out of the glass panel doors, sighing at the rain. 

"Might as well just get out there, then. It's not gonna get any better, and we need to get goin.."

(Y/N) hesitantly nodded, following Mike out to his car. She got in on the passenger side, mind still drifting off towards past memories, face lightly pressed against the cool window. Mike seemed to not notice her mood had dropped, especially since the silence was common on these car rides. Rain softly pattered against the roof and windows of the car, a gloomy mood in general hanging over their minds. Even if a person to the parking lot of Fazbear's, an odd emotional common ground seem to have been found between the two in the car.

Parking his car close to the entrance, Mike's slowly exited, heading towards the passenger side open the door for (Y/N). She happily accepted the gesture, sliding out of the car in the following him inside the restaurant. An eerie silence fell over it, paired with the distant sound of rainfall outside the brick walls. The other employees, the janitor and the manager for that shift, soon slid out of the kitchen to greet the two, more than ready to head home after a long hard day's work. They bid the two night guards a farewell, and left them with the animatronics, alone.

The two waved them goodbye, slowly making their way to the office in the back of the restaurant. They both got settled in their seats, and began to prepare for the night. Mike turned on the monitors, while (Y/N) gathered their masks, setting them on the desk.

Mike glanced over at her.

"Are you ready for tonight?" He asked, grabbing the Freddy mask to keep on his lap. She nodded softly, smiling up at him. He raised his eyebrows, lips tugging into a small smile, an odd warmth spreading in his chest.

Her smile, her presence.. It was such a nice feeling that she gave him, an odd feeling he hadn't felt in a long time..


	12. Chapter 12

The sound of music rang through the hall ways, (Y/N) and Mike pressed shoulder to shoulder, eyes shifting rapidly from the dark hallway in front of them to the clock before them.

' _5:58_ ', it displayed, taunting them. That thin-limbed _thing_ came tip-toeing down the hall, more than ready to attack the two guards, striped arms outstretched and long fingers curled into animal-like claws. 

'5:59'.

(Y/N) whimpered, Mike dug his nails into the office chair below him, and the Marionette inched closer, seeming to almost savor the fear they radiated. The puppet passed the metal plate threshold between the hall and office, jumping at the two. (Y/N) threw her arms around Mike, burying her face in his chest. He pulled her close, squeezing his eyes shut and clenching his teeth, waiting for something to happen... Then the 6 a.m. alarm went off. 

(Y/N) slowly pulled her face from Mike's chest, turning her head towards the office. Mike opened his eyes, the two of them staring at the puppet, its extended sharp fingers mere inches from Mike's face. He felt a shiver go through his body, while (Y/N) gave a nervous laugh.

The puppet hovered for a few more moments, before returning back to the prize corner, settling back in its box after it had arrived. Mike followed in (Y/N)'s footsteps, laughing awkwardly as they both stood. She looked up at him, then to the floor, pressing her hands to her face.

"Another night done," Mike jested, gently patting (Y/N)'s head. She looked up at him, giving him a tired smile.

"Mike... Can we just... Go? I don't wanna stay much longer."

Mike nodded softly, resting his hand on her upper back to lead her out of the room. (Y/N) leaned a bit into his hand. It was about the same size as Lukas's, but Mike was gentle and platonic with his touch. It made her heart race, and she couldn't understand why.

However, they soon reached the car, both getting inside on their respective sides. 

"(Y/N)... You wouldn't wanna come over and watch a movie or something.. Would you?" Mike suddenly asked as he took off towards their apartments. (Y/N) raised her eyebrows, but considered it.

"Well.. Let me get out of my uniform, and I'll come over to your apartment, yeah?" 

Mike nodded softly, smiling over at her. She blushed a bit and looked away, smiling a bit herself.

"Oh, actually.. What apartment number are you? I never caught it before.." (Y/N) asked, glancing over at him.

"Ah, yeah, it's, uh.. 515.. I had to think about it, since I'm usually in auto pilot when I come and go." He replied, before focusing back on the road. It didn't take long for (Y/N) to realize, though, that she was in 514, making.. them... neighbors.....

(Y/N) looked up at him, raising her eyebrows, before looking to her lap to not attract his attention. They're next-door neighbors, and he doesn't know it. However, it meant that he could hear Lukas beat her every other night. Surely that was a mistake? He couldn't live next door. Though, he soon proved her theory correct by adding on,

"Oh, and, the neighbors to the right in 514 can be kind of noisy, but usually that's later in the day, around 7:30, 8:00ish. Sometimes they catch me off _guard_ in the morning though, hehe," Mike chuckled at his awful pun, but (Y/N) didn't seem very amused. Rather, she seemed suddenly nervous, frowning a bit. Mike didn't notice, though, pulling into the parking lot of their apartment building. They both got out, and started to head inside. (Y/N) had to think fast; she didn't want Mike to find out she was the noisy neighbor. As they walked up the stairs, she suddenly stopped at the fourth floor door, smiling a bit over at him. 

"I'll be right up, ok? Just give me a few minutes," She said with fake enthusiasm, more so to hide the fact that she was ready to die inside, lest Mike find out that she lived next to him. She couldn't let him know. Not yet, and maybe not ever. For now, she just had to wait until he went to his apartment. 

Mike took off upstairs, and (Y/N) slowly followed him up, making sure he didn't notice her behind him. Once he had left the stairwell area, she got up to the 5th floor door. After a few moments, she opened the door, peeking out into the hall. She watched patiently, seeing him soon enter his apartment. He seemed excited, almost. Once she heard the door close, she slid into the hall and quietly made her way towards her own apartment. She did her best to quietly unlock and go into the apartment, closing the door slowly. She made her way farther in, getting to the bedroom and removing her shirt, hat and shoes. She grabbed a comfy sweater, and left on her uniform pants; they were basic black skinny jeans, so were just fine to wear around. She slid on some comfortable shoes, before heading off towards Mike's apartment. 

(Y/N) stood outside of his room, quiet, hand hovering to knock. She closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath, then letting it out. She did this a few times, before opening her eyes. She put on a small smile, gently rapping her knuckles against the door. After a few moments, Mike opened the door, letting her inside with a smile. She stepped inside and looked over at him, taking in his appearance. His uniform cap replaced with a grey beanie, and shirt replaced with a white tee-shirt and blue and black flannel over shirt. His slacks were replaced with soft-looking grey cotton sleep pants, and feet in just socks. He looked very comfortable. He led her inside to the couch, letting her sit and get comfy.

It was a cozy place, minimally decorated with just the couch, a coffee table, TV stand and carpet. He had a flat screen on the smaller side hooked up to a PS4, walls bare. The kitchen was the same, only having the bare essentials that a single guy would need. She couldn't judge though, since his apartment was more comfortable and safe-feeling than her own. She pressed into the couch while Mike went to get some movie food, popcorn and [Favorite Drink] for both of them. He settled beside her and opened Netflix the the PS4, handing off the controller to her. She smiled and wet through, picking out [Favorite Movie]. They both settled in, watching the movie start. Both smiling. Both scooting a little closer to each other. Both happy for once.


	13. Chapter 13

(Y/N) woke with a start, groaning under her breath as she sat up. Blinking her tired eyes slowly, she took in the area around her, before rubbing her eyes and trying again. Her apartment? No, the furniture was wrong. She felt a weight on her right shoulder, looking over to find Mike had passed out on her, a large blanket draped over the two of them. A few memories from last night popped up, and she realized that Lukas might've come home and noticed her not being there. Carefully, as to not disturb Mike, (Y/N) slid out from beside him, carefully laying him down on his side. She smiled a bit at the sight, before looking around for a clock. 10 a.m.? She never woke this early. Was Lukas even home? She was too disorientated to know if he was or not. If he was, she was screwed. She looked at her hands, and began counting in her head. He works 14 hours a day, and gets off at 7 p.m.. "6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5.. 5 a.m., right?" She muttered to herself, "So he's still at work.. yeah.."  
After coming to that conclusion, she calmed herself, only to jump when a voice asked from behind her, "Are you alright? (Y/N), is something wrong?"  
After whipping her head around and realizing that it was Mike, she again calmed down, sighing and rubbing her face.  
"Sorry, Mike. I just got a little spooked because of the time. I-I, uh.. thought I had slept through the day and that it was 10 p.m.," (Y/N) said quietly, rubbing the back of her neck in fake embarrassment. Mike gave a relieved smile and sat up, stretching out his limbs from their previously much more scrunched positions. (Y/N) watched quietly, hands dropping to her sides.  
"It is still pretty early, we only got about.. what, three hours of sleep? You should get back to your place and rest a bit. Just in case the animatronics get restless, we need to be on our toes... Or at least one of us does," he chuckled, standing up and stretching again, before walking over to her.  
"I had fun last night, y'know? That movie you picked was pretty good," he said as he stepped past her to open the door for her. She followed him over, nodding softly.  
"I think I fell asleep half way through, so.. I'm happy that you at least enjoyed it," (Y/N) smiled. "But yeah, I'mma go get some sleep. Have a good day Mike.."  


With that, she stepped out of the apartment, glancing down the halls. Mike waved and closed the door. Once it was fully closed, she silently crept to the next door over, pulling out her key and slowly sliding it into the lock. She turned it, then the knob gently, before pushing the door open. She let out a small sigh of relief, then pulled out the key, and closed the door as silently as she opened it, locking it behind her. She gave another yawn, before heading to the kitchen for some breakfast. Poptarts had to do, since Lukas hadn't been shopping yet.  


She got out a package of (Favorite flavor) poptarts, putting the box away and opening them up. She popped them in the toaster, sitting quietly and thinking about last night while they cooked. It was.. it was nice. She thought she would be more apprehensive, cuddling up to someone like that, but it felt so natural and calming. His warmth was comforting, his voice like sweet music. She knew that she liked Mike, and had an inkling that he felt the same. She was with Lukas, though, and he would never let her leave, especially when it would be for his next door neighbor. Lukas would beat her senseless, make her quit her job, and lock her in ' _the_ _closet_ '. She couldn't bare to leave Mike alone at Freddy's. What if the animatronics ganged up on him? He wouldn't be able to fight off all of them.  


The poptarts finished, and (Y/N) grabbed them, biting into one absently. She liked Mike, and that's why she couldn't tell him that she liked him. He would be put in danger. Lukas might hurt him, and if he didn't, the animatronics would. The thought was too much to bare. She sighed and headed towards the bedroom as she finished her first poptarts, sitting on the bed as she started her second. This morning was lovely, and she didn't even mind that she had only slept three hours. However, she couldn't make that a common occurrence. Lukas would probably sense her happiness and do whatever he could to crush it.  


(Y/N), finishing her food, stood and grabbed her pajamas from her side of the dresser, slipping out of her uniform to change. Even though Lukas wasn't there, she felt exposed to the world, scars and fading bruises scattered over her body. She was scared of it all, to see what she looked like underneath her clothing. So, she stepped in front of the full length mirror on the back of the bedroom door, staring at herself. Her hair was a bit messy from the sleepover, but that was fine. She frowned, turning from side to side. She was smaller than she used to be, too scared to eat more than she needed to. Her back had healing bruises in the shape of belt whips, knees, elbows and one of her shoulders carpet burnt from being thrown to the floor. None of it hurt anymore- at least physically. It had been awhile since she had gotten the wounds. But mentally, it hurt. She didn't like seeing her body, so she covered it with clothes and crawled under the covers of their bed, and closed her eyes. If she just closed her eyes for long enough, she would drift away to something less brutal. To somewhere she knew she would be happy and safe. Just somewhere that wasn't that apartment, that wasn't that bedroom in front of that mirror, exposed to her demon's. At least until Lukas got home.


	14. Chapter 14

(Y/N) woke, quietly startled by the bedroom door opening and closing, though she kept her head down. _Is it already 7:00?_ It didn't feel like she had slept that long. Lukas was soon at her bedside, leaning down to gently shake her awake. Hesitantly, she turned over to look up at him, eyes sad and expression tired. He attempted to give a smile, before sighing and sitting beside her.

  
"Hey," He started softly, one of his hands gently grabbing hers, "I got off early, so I decided to bring you some (Favorite fast-food chain). You hungry?"

  
His gentle tone and attention to her favorite food seems out of place, at least for his most recent behavior. It sounded like he was back to when they had first gotten together, when he had actually cared. It was... almost alarming. (Y/N) sat up, stretching a bit, before following him out to the living room. As promised, there sat a bag of (favorite fast-food), hot and ready for them to eat. He pulled out her food, handing it to her and telling her to get comfy on the couch, before digging out his own and joining her. They ate with a tense silence between them, only the TV filling the room with sound, though (Y/N) was sure that Lukas was oblivious to that tension. No, he thought that he was always in the right- That tension was one-sided, which he unknowingly proved to her by wrapping an arm around her. She stiffened, though slowly relaxed into his body. She was comfortable beside him for once, finding his steady heartbeat and rhythmic breathing to be calming. She may as well enjoy the situation as much as possible, since there was no way out of it until _he_ felt like letting go of her.  
  
The five hours between 6:00 and 11:00 seemed to fly by, and (Y/N) hardly realized that it was just an hour before work when she had finally decided to check the time. She bit her lip, looking down at her lap, Lukas's arm still draped over her thin shoulders.  
"L.... Lukas.." she said, though only a few minutes after weighing the consequences of breaking the silence, and so quietly that Lukas almost didn't hear her. However, he looked down in acknowledgement of her speaking, before nodding for her to continue.  
"Lukas, I need to get ready for work.." She finished quietly, though it was almost under her breath. She couldn't bring herself to look up at him. He was being so nice today that she didn't want to ruin his good mood. However, instead of getting angry, he smiled, pulling his arm away from her and nodding.  


"I'm happy you're taking this job seriously. You know, I was just being a bit grouchy when I said you had to get a job. You don't need to keep it, if you don't want..."  
  
That... Was very suspicious. That sounded like an awful idea- giving up her job. It was the only freedom she had. She shook her head, forcing a smile, "No, no, I enjoy the job. I get paid to sit and watch cameras all night. I can save up for us to go do something nice, you know?"  
Without giving Lukas much time to think about what else to say, she made her way to the bedroom, quickly getting on her clothes and brushing out her hair. She took this time to think about what Lukas had said. _Don't need to keep my job?_ She thought. _That job is my ticket out of this hell-hole. I can get my own place with that money. My own car, and a phone, even.. No, he won't talk me into giving this up like he's done with everything else. This is my own personal 'fuck-you', and I'm not letting him lay a finger on it, no matter how much he hurts me._

(Y/N) headed out of the apartment, despite Lukas's light protests and insistence on just 'calling off', telling him that she was the only one on duty that night, which was a lie, but for a good cause. After, she made her way downstairs, hoping that Mike was already down there. If he had still been in his apartment, he would have heard. He would have known. He couldn't know, she wouldn't let him. Not until she wasn't relying on Lukas, at the very least.

(Y/N) smiled as she saw Mike, waiting in the lobby for her. Once he saw her, he smiled back, waving her over so they could get into the car, the two of them not realizing that a certain abusive man had followed (Y/N) downstairs without the two noticing.  
Though the car ride was silent, it wasn't nearly as tense as it had been up in her apartment. No, the air night was light and fun. They were both bobbing their heads to rock oldies and barely even thinking about what they were driving towards - a night worth of animatronics who want them dead for 'breaking the rules'. That didn't matter. They were having a good time, even as they got out and locked up the car, heading into the building. As Mike and (Y/N) walked in, all the closing team walked out, giving finger guns and absent high-fives as they exchanged shifts. They felt invincible tonight. It was going to be a good night, (Y/N) could feel it. The animatronics wouldn't bother them much, and they'd be able to relax and just hang out.

As the clock struck 12:00 pm, the two had already settled in the office, Mike setting a lunch box on the desk before them.  
"You never bring anything to eat," Mike smiled, "So I brought some stuff for both of us, in case we get hungry, or tired of water. Just, try not to drink too much. You don't wanna have to run out to the bathroom at 2:00 am or anything."  
(Y/N)'s gaze shifted back and forth from Mike and the lunch box, eyebrows raised and mouth slightly agape. Did he actually bring food for her? _Was it that noticeable that she didn't eat much...?_  
(Y/N) put up her hands and shook her head, "Oh, no, Mike. I can't accept that. You eat your own food, I ate before my shift-" "I packed some just for you, so don't worry about me. There's enough for both of us."  
Mike smiled, and (Y/N) couldn't help but smile back. He was stubborn, and wouldn't let her get away with not feeding herself, if only just for tonight. She didn't like that he was starting to notice her minor flaws - her neglect towards her own body and her push-overness. She was scared that would lead to him finding out about the abuse. If anything happened to Lukas, he'd take her down with her; anything to get the last laugh in.

As the night progressed, Mike was able to coax (Y/N) into eating a (favorite sandwich) and some small snacks, though it took a lot of convincing. As the hours drew on, Mike sighed, turning (Y/N)'s chair towards him.  
  
"(Y/N).. are you busy tomorrow? I was thinking of going out to breakfast or something at this new diner on the main drag in town, and didn't wanna go alone, since that's kinda weird. It'd be on me, and we could go straight from work.."  
As Mike trailed off, (Y/N) considered his words. Take her out to breakfast? She would love to go, but was scared Lukas would figure it out. He should be at work, especially if they go straight from Freddy's, but.. She felt like Lukas would somehow find out. However, despite the anxiety, she absently nodded, smiling, barely realizing what she had agreed to. She needed to get out of the apartment, and around other people.  
Mike grinned, nodding, thanking her for agreeing to come and that he'd try to finish breakfast quick so they'd be able to go home and sleep. However, just as he said this, he had a mask shoved over his face, and (Y/N) pulled on her own as both Withered Freddy and Withered Bonnie wandered into the room, their robotic eyes scanning for anything out of the ordinary. They stayed quiet until the two old animatronics left, and they pulled off their masks in unison, grinning at each other. They couldn't wait to go get breakfast.


	15. Chapter 15

The night had gone by fast, and (Y/N) was just as energetic as she had been when the shift had started. This was the last shift of the week until Monday - the boss-man had brought up two new guards coming onto the team, who would be alternating shifts with them, meaning that Mike and (Y/N) might not always be on the same shift. Still, it also meant that they were likely to get more time together outside of work, even if it only consisted of watching movies over at Mike's place.   
The ride to the diner was quiet, but the two guards were in high spirits, ready to go devour some eggs benedict- or, at least, Mike was. (Y/N) would more than likely fall onto her fail save, (Favorite Breakfast), since it was a new restaurant. The thought of it, though, wasn't any less appetizing. Anything was better than pop-tarts or near-spoiled eggs. Well, the fast food from yesterday was alright, but it was a meal shared with Lukas, so it had been inherently uncomfortable, despite being tasty.   
Once they had arrived, Mike slid out, with (Y/N) quietly following, trailing behind him hesitantly. It felt.. odd. Being out in public with Mike felt wrong, like she was cheating on Lukas, or, worse, that she was leading on Mike. Even with out awful Lukas had been so far, cheating would just be her stooping just as low as he had. If she was a good girl, she would surely be rewarded, as if being a good little girl hadn't already gotten the universe to dick-slap her across the face already.

".../N)... Hey, (Y/N).. You.. are you okay??" Mike grabbed her arm, making her look up at him, eyes wide in bewilderment, "Wh.. What? Of course I'm okay- Why wouldn't I be?"  
"Well, you stopped in the middle of the sidewalk without explanation, effectively blocking a group from coming in-"  
Her head jerked to the side, eyes landing on a family of four, two women holding hands and two little boys that were about ten. The women waved it off, saying that they didn't mind as (Y/N) apologized for holding them up. Mike snickered at (Y/N), gently nudging her arm with his elbow,  
"If you hold us up any longer, I'm just gonna take us home. I'm, like, really tired, y'know?"  
(Y/N) nodded, embarrassment written over her face in the form of a light blush as he led her inside, though her cheeks soon leveled in color as they settled in a booth across from each other. As they settled, a roll of thunder rumbled from outside, and they both instinctively peeked out of the window they were sat at. It wasn't raining, but a few clouds began to roll in. This didn't bother them, though. Unless Mike's car decided not to start. That would suck, actually. However, the thought was quickly pushed to the back of (Y/N)'s mind as a waitress approached the two, asking about drinks. Of course, Mike got a coffee, while (Y/N) got (Preferred Drink).

"Hey, (Y/N)? I just realized I never got your phone number. I don't think I ever thought to ask about it, since most every time we talk, were being hunted by robots,"  
Mike snickered at his observation, though his eyebrows knit in a concerned smile as (Y/N)'s cheeks turned pink.  
"I don't, uhm.. Don't own a phone, actually. I.. Uhm... I c-couldn't afford to keep it activated for awhile there, so I... sold.. it...."   
Though her excuse was on the spot and stutter-y, Mike nodded in understanding with a small smile, "Well, you can save for one with your next few paychecks - Or you could get one of those cheap burner phones, if need be..."

(Y/N) opened her mouth to respond, only to let out a soft sigh of relief as the waitress came and set their plates before them. Mike turned his attention away from the question, instead unwrapping his silverware from the napkin bundle.  
"Well, since I can't call you later to ask- do you have any plans this weekend?" Mike purred as he dug into his food, glancing up at (Y/N) for an answer. She shrugged lightly, eyes focused down at her own food, almost half way eaten at this point, "Probably nothing, but I'm not sure. It depends, really.."  
"Oh yeah? Depends on what?" Mike prodded, before taking a sip of his coffee. Her fingers tightened around her fork at the question, and she took a second to compose an answer.  
"Oh, uhm.. My boyfriend might not be too keen on me spending all of my free time with another guy, I think.."

Mike paused, raising his eyebrows. His knuckles became as white as the mug he was holding, and an odd twinge tugged at his chest. _'What..?'_ He thought, _'...boy.. friend?'_  
The idea almost felt foreign to Mike. A boyfriend? (Y/N) already had a guy? He felt oddly betrayed, despite the fact that (Y/N) and him weren't even together. Reality sort of hit him with an odd pain, and he realized that this.. this wasn't a date - it was a cordial and platonic breakfast with a co-worker. He didn't even like her! Well.. He didn't know that he liked her until now, really. Now that she was out of his grasp.. No, no, he barely knew her anyway. Obviously, or else he would have already known about the boyfriend, and the phone if he were close enough to dating her... God, he felt like an idiot, and his plans sort of came crashing down around him. He did his best to keep himself calm, though it was hard with the lobe damage causing his anger to be more... turbulent than the average person. He didn't want to scare her away completely. 

While Mike quietly contemplated her words, (Y/N) found herself mentally dragging herself through the dirt. She hadn't thought before she had said what she did, and now Mike knew she had a guy. As much as she didn't want to admit it, she was hoping to not let him find out, to hopefully get him to help her out when he moved. She had thought of them becoming room mates at a different apartment, or maybe a house for rent, closer to work and away from Lukas. Her words had just slipped, as if she were telling one of her girlfriends why she wasn't able to go out for a party like they used to invite her to.   
Mike nodded softly and finished his coffee and food, glancing up at her, teeth digging into the tip of his tongue. She had finished up her meal soon after him, though the sudden silence between them

She bit her lip, staring down at her food with the burning desire to sink into the booth and disappear into the void. Her heart rumbled.. No, that was the thunder. Still, tears threatened her eyes like gentle rain.   
The waitress approached, setting down the bill with a sweet smile, before turning away to take other orders. Mike set down his mug and pulled out his wallet, quietly setting what he owed, plus a tip, out in the clip-tray along side the receipt. (Y/N) stood, and so did Mike.  
"Mike.. I.. I'm gonna use the restroom real quick before we go, ok? I'll be out to the car in a few.."  
With that, she turned to use the bathroom, taking this time away from him to allow a few tears to slip, before washing her face, drying it off with a few paper-towels. The whole thing took, at the most, three minutes. (Y/N) made her way out to the car, only to realize.. The car wasn't there. She knit her brows and went back inside, looking back to their booth. It was still empty. She looked around the restaurant, then back outside. Her throat felt tight, and so did her chest. More tears threatened to fall, but the rain outside beat her to it. Hesitantly, she accepted her fate, making her way outside and starting off towards home, heart crushed. She felt embarrassed, like she had done something wrong. Like this was punishment for something.  
This all felt out of place.  
Mike wouldn't actually make her walk all the way home in the rain, right? He was a jerk sometimes, but not _that_ much of a jerk.. right? As (Y/N) walked, she was almost thankful for the rain. It masked her tears, her emotions.  
She let herself slip while climbing out of the pit she'd been forced to live in, and the only rope out had just retracted itself, leaving her to drown in her thoughts and emotions. The rain suddenly felt like rocks against her skin, the wind whispering about how much of a failure she was. At least home wasn't too terribly far from here. Despite that, she knew it would be a long walk..

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heeey! So, at this point in the story, I had realized that I wasn't writing this as realistically as I wanted it to be. Mike became buddy-buddy with (Y/N) far sooner than I planned, taking away precious storytelling. So I tried to slow that down after this chapter.


	16. Chapter 16

Once (Y/N) was inside, she made her way up to her apartment, soaking wet and shivering, breath shaky with sobs. She got herself up to Lukas's apartment, getting the door unlocked and open.  
Lukas sat in waiting at the breakfast bar of the kitchen, tapping away at his phone, a sly smile spreading across his face as he saw her soaked form.

  
(Y/N)'s throat tightened, and she was suddenly wishing that she was back in the pizzeria with the killer animatronics. At least they wouldn't beat her senseless and throw her in a closet.

  
"So, (Y/N), did you have a fun walk home?" Lukas asked sweetly, slowly drawing himself from the kitchen to approach her, closing the door behind her. Her body trembled, but not from the cold,  
"You know, I would have thought that your little side-guy would have given you a ride home.. or, maybe you just did what you always do- pissed him off so much that he decided to ditch your sorry ass? I wouldn't doubt it, since you're really good at that,"

  
Lukas grabbed her by the chin, forcing her to look up at him, "You know, its just fate's way of punishing you for being an ungrateful slut," He growled. More tears found their way to (Y/N)'s eyes. Her knees shook under her.

  
"Get yourself out of those wet clothes. Don't put on anything else," Lukas instructed, before going back to the kitchen to fetch himself his drink.

  
(Y/N) shakily stripped out of her soaked uniform, though hesitated at her bra and panties. She looked up at Lukas. He nodded, urging her to continue.

  
She unhooked her bra and tossed it in the wet pile, soon followed by her panties. She stood, arms folded in a futile attempt to keep warm. Lukas approached her again, drink set aside so he could use his hands. One hand found its way to her hip, the other gently lifting her chin so he could pull her into a kiss. (Y/N) didn't even try to fight back. Lukas was already pissed, she assumed he had seem her and Mike leave, and she didn't want to make it worse by denying him. His fingers tangled through her wet hair, and he pulled her from the kiss, mouth moving to nip at her neck's sensitive skin. A whimper found its way to her throat, turning into a soft cry as he sunk his teeth into the crook of her neck, suckling at the spot until he was satisfied with the hickey. He pulled away from her neck, forcing her down to her knees. (Y/N) knew exactly what to do from there....

** \- non-con lemon here bc ofc not all of you wanna read that - **

(Y/N) knew exactly what to do from there, shaky hands reaching to unbuckle his belt, then undo his jeans. She slid them down to his ankles, then got to work on his boxers. His hand kept a rough grip on some of her hair, his perverted grin never leaving his face as (Y/N) took his cock in her hands, stroking him off.  
Though he seemed to be enjoying himself, it was quite the opposite for (Y/N). She was uncomfortable, to say the very least, being forced to please the man before her, hair still soaked and body chilled to the bone. Her body shook beneath him, and she struggled to keep her hands steady as she pleasured Lukas.

  
Lukas quickly became bored of the hand-job, tightening his grip on (Y/N)'s hair and pulling her up closer to prompt her to use her mouth. An involuntary whimper left her, but she hardly hesitated, taking the head and the first two or so inches in her mouth. At this point, she could go farther, her gag reflex having been worn down after only a year or so of this. Lukas allowed his head to relax back, a moan allowing itself past his lips. He bucked his hips lightly, prompting her to get moving before he did it himself. (Y/N) was quick to comply, sitting up a bit and resting her hands on his hips, bobbing her head, eyes closed tight.

  
Usually, when Lukas would make her service him, she would imagine him as someone else - A character from a book or show she liked, or a guy she found particularly attractive. Her mind went to Mike, though she could hardly settle on him. Her minds-eye could see him glaring down at her with hateful eyes, like she was an ungrateful slut, like she was trash, like she had betrayed him.. The very idea of seeing his angry face made the skin on her back and hands crawl, unwanted tears stinging her eyes, making her subconsciously dig her nails into Lukas's sides. Lukas's other hand came down, grabbing hair from the other side of her head, leaning in to push himself deeper into her throat. (Y/N)'s eyes shot open, throat constricting, fingers splaying out and a few gagging noises leaving her throat. Her eyes rolled back in her head, a few tears rolling down her cheeks.

  
She took a moment to comprehend what had happened, realizing she must have stopped moving when her mind had shifted over to Mike, causing Lukas to take matters into his own hands. Roughly, he thrusted into her mouth, tip repeatedly hitting the back of her throat, causing her mouth to water and more tears to fall. It was painful, between her hair being pulled and the violent face-fucking, she could hardly focus on either. Her nails dug into his sides, though she soon lost her grips, arms falling loosely to her sides, swinging from the shoulders like a rag doll's arms, fingertips brushing against the smooth wood floor installed just beyond the threshold of the door with each thrust. (Y/N) struggled to breath, gagging and gasping between thrusts. It was just barely enough for her, and she began to feel light-headed. However, it wasn't long before Lukas pulled away with a quiet pant, bringing one hand away from her hair to stroke himself, while the other firmly held her head where he wanted it to be. (Y/N) coughed hard, throat feeling as if it were full of needles each time she took a breath. She tried to calm herself, blinking a few times, allowing a few more warm tears to run down her face. 

  
A hot, sticky substance hit her cheek, and she subconsciously closed her eyes, lightly cringing at the pungent scent of his semen. She kept her eyes squeezed shut as he finished on her face, a soft sob hiccupping from her throat. Once Lukas was finished, he let go of (Y/N)'s hair, and her shaking form fell forward, (Y/N) barely catching herself with her hands.

  
"Th.... Thank you.." (Y/N) stuttered in between soft gasps for air, something Lukas had trained her to say as pillow talk, though Lukas merely chuckled. "You don't think were done yet, do you? You can't seem to keep yourself away from other men, so I have to make sure you know who you owns you. Go get on the couch, ass up."  
(Y/N)'s body stiffened at his words. No, no, she didn't want to do that. Lukas crossed his arms, glaring down at her, waiting for her to stand up. After a few moments of waiting, Lukas growled, grabbing her hair again, pulling her up to look her in the eyes, "If you don't do as your told, I'll make you do it, and I won't be gentle about it,"

  
(Y/N) jerked her head away, a sharp whimper escaping her throat. His grip had pulled out some hair, which had tangled from the rain.

  
"Go, now." He urged, only to again receive no valuable reaction. He sighed, grumbling about how he had to do everything for her, grabbing her by the upper arm and yanking her to her feet. Before even being able to balance herself, (Y/N) was thrown face first over the arm of the couch, landing with a soft 'oomph'. The friction between her bare skin and the fabric burned lightly, but not enough to justify any reaction. Lukas was quick to follow her, resting one knee on the couch while his other foot firmly planted itself on the carpeted floor. His hands grabbed needily at her hips, pulling her ass up to a position that gave him easy access. Without any thought of lube or a condom, Lukas positioned himself at her back entrance, jerking his hips forward.

  
(Y/N)'s toes splayed out, and she could hardly get out a strangled cry before Lukas was viciously postponing himself in and out of her, going so rough that he has accidentally pulled all the way out once or twice. (Y/N)'s mouth fell open, though no sound came out, eyes wide in pain. She could almost feel him in her stomach, and was sure that if she could see her belly, it would surely bulge a bit at each thrust. Her arms laid in front of her, fingers brushing over something plush. A pillow. She pulled it close, digging her teeth into one of the corners and squeezing her eyes shut, effectively muffling her whines and groans of pain.  
Lukas took no notice of her pain, one hand hooked around her hip, and the other resting on her right ass cheek. Without warning he raised his hand, bringing it down so hard that it made his hand sting, blood instantly rushing to the area to leave a large, red handprint. At the impact, (Y/N) arched her back, crying out loud in pain.  
"Don't hide your pretty little moans from me," Lukas warned, before again bring his hand down hard in the same spot as before. (Y/N)'s body shook, and she gave another cry of pain. He moved the hand at her hip to instead grab her by the forearm, holding her arm behind her back, keeping her from being able to bury her face in that pillow. His other hand soon followed, both arms now being held behind her back, upper body suspended in air and breasts bouncing freely with each thrust.

  
"A-Ah-! Lukas, please," (Y/N) whined, "I-It hurts! Slow down! S-Stop!"

  
Lukas sneered, merely ignoring her fruitless pleas with a smirk. He knew it hurt, and he didn't care. He was going to do with her as he pleased, and he knew that she couldn't do anything about it. Her walls tightened around him, her stomach turning. It didn't hurt as much as when he had started, and she could help but feel _good._ However, she couldn't let him know that. He'd take advantage of it. She held in her moans, having no way to mask them if she let them out. Lukas pulled out, but only long enough to flip her on her back and get himself situated, settling on using her pussy this time, much to her relief. Back to his previous rhythm, (Y/N) laid beneath him, moaning with each thrust like a door I a scary movie. Now that they were in this position, Lukas could easily hit her g-spot, which he did with relative ease.

  
(Y/N) couldn't help but let a moan slip, then a few more, until she was a puddle of pleasure below him. She couldn't help herself, but that didn't make her any less frustrated with herself. She hated Lukas, but he was so good with her body that he could turn her into a panting mess in mere minutes.

  
A hand found its way to (Y/N)'s throat, her blurry vision focusing on the form above her, who had taken hold of her delicate throat with a tight grip, surely one that would leave a bruise. Still, (Y/N) who in pleasure, stomach twisting more with each thrust. Lukas smirked.  
"Look at you, you slut! You really have some nerve, enjoying your punishment. I swear to God, if you cum, I'll beat you senseless!"

Despite the warning, (Y/N) could feel pressure begin to build, his words leaving her mind almost as soon as he said them. It felt too good. She cried out, arching her back as she allowed herself to orgasm, the consequences barely even registering as he kept on to finish himself off. He grabbed her hips roughly, bucking his hips and freezing in place as he let himself spill into her, filling her tight pussy to to the brim with hot semen. He gave a few more gentle thrusts, riding out his orgasm, before pulling out with a barely audible 'pop'.

  
(Y/N) laid trembling under him, eyes hazy and mouth open to allow her to catch her breath. Her legs and fingers twitched as her nerves tried to settle, and Lukas stared down at his handiwork with a perverted grin. Still, she had allowed herself to orgasm, which Lukas had been hoping for, contemplating just what to do as he pulled his pants back on.

** \- !end of the non-con lemon! - **

With one swift motion, (Y/N)'s tired body was rag-dolled across the coffee table, nearly slamming into the TV stand. Arms shaking, she struggled to pull herself up into a sitting position. Lukas approached her, and she struggled to back away from the man before her, his form looming over her, fists balled at each side. (Y/N) shakily began to stand, only for his boot-clad foot to come in contact with her bare chest, leaving a ghost of the boots pattern in dirt on her skin. She fell back to her hands and knees, body shaking and voice sputtering,  
"I-I-I'm so-ory! S.. sorr..ry.." she sobbed. Her apologies fell upon deaf ears as he grabbed her by the hair and pulled her to her feet, his fist coming in contact with her stomach. Her body quivered, eyes rolling back as he dropped her, her breakfast spilling to the floor between shaky gasps. Shakily, (Y/N) looked up at him, tears streaking her face. Lukas brought his foot down on the back of her head, her arms giving out below her, landing her cheek-first in her own stomach contents. Lukas knelt on one knee, giving her a gentle smile, reaching down to pat her clean cheek. 

  
"Go wash your face, and clean up your mess. You're lucky I don't make you eat it like the dog you are,"  
(Y/N) shakily rose to her feet, stumbling to the kitchen and flipping on the tap, using the spray tool to clean her face and hair. She could take a shower after she was done cleaning, surely.

  
Once (Y/N) found her face to be clean enough, she dropped to her knees, digging through the cabinet under the sink to pull out cleaning supplies. She hated the carpet in his apartment - it was made up of long particular, which made it particularly hard to clean up spills or.. other messes. Quietly, she rose to her feet, a few bottles under her arm and a sponge or two in hand. She got to work, with Lukas standing over her, arms crossed, enjoying the view of a naked woman on her hands and knees.  
  
(Y/N) stood, taking the cleaning supplies back to the kitchen after scrubbing the carpet, putting them away. Her body had stopped trembling, save for the occasional chill due to her lack of clothing. She headed off towards the bathroom, with Lukas soon following, stopping her from entering.

  
"No warm water tonight, just to make sure that you know you're in trouble. I'll sit on the counter and check every so often, just so you don't break the rules,"

  
Lukas gave a sickly sweet smile, pushing her arm to prompt her to keep walking into the bathroom. (Y/N) looked up at him with a whimper and pleading eyes, though he hardly looked back at her, merely sneering back at her shorter form. Her eyes shifted from him off to the shower in front of them, her tense shoulders relaxing a bit. She might as well appreciate that she was getting a shower at all, even if it was a cold shower. Lukas turned on the water and held the curtain open for (Y/N) with the charm of a faux gentleman. (Y/N) slid into the shower, pressing back against the wall when the cold water hit her feet. Her body shivered, spine tingling, but she soon brought both feet down, letting the rest of her body slowly become drenched, the water bringing an oddly satisfying numbing sensation to her toes. Her body relaxed, and she closed her eyes. The water was like a liquid ice-pack against her bruising skin, and a small smile found its way to her face.


	17. Chapter 17

(Y/N) stared out of the bedroom window, blanket loosely draped over her shoulders. She sat, dressed in a t-shirt and sleep shorts, lips pressed in a firm line. She couldn't see Mike's car in the parking lot, despite him not having work, or probably any will to go out this early. (Y/N) couldn't sleep - she was too sore. Her throat burned and her chest tightened where Lukas had kicked her, a dull pain rising with each breath. A minor ache settled in the back of her head, and she felt cold, despite the heater being on and a blanket being around her. She felt empty. She wanted to apologize to Mike, despite not even knowing what she did wrong. Was it something she said? Maybe when she mentioned she had a boyfriend? She hadn't thought about it. She didn't think that Mike liked her in that way - at least, he had never perused her in a noticeable way. Maybe she was romantically inept, desensitized by Lukas's harsh treatment, which had been her first and only exposure to 'romance'.

  
(Y/N) slowly turned away, heading off to the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth. Her legs trembled slightly with each step, everything below her neck still sore from the night before. Had Mike heard it? Maybe not. Maybe she could go knock on his door - he might not be home, but if he is, they could talk about the day before. She felt horrible and didn't want to let it fester over the weekend. Once she was all freshened up from her trip to the bathroom, (Y/N) returned to the bedroom to gather up some clothes - clean undergarments, a long-sleeve, (Favorite Color) sweater, black skinny-jeans and a pair of high tops. She decided on these to cover up her bruises, otherwise she would have just kept on the shorts and t-shirt.

(Y/N) stared at Mike's door. _515._ She raised a fist, gently knocked on the door. It was quiet for a few moments, so she knocked again, a tiny bit harder. This time, there was an answer, a grouchy-looking Mike coming to the door, the bags under his eyes accentuated by their red puffiness, presumably from crying. His eyebrows knit, giving him an odd expression between anger, sadness and relief. (Y/N) couldn't help but look away, feeling that it was probably her fault that he had been crying.

  
"(Y/N)..." His voice cooed, though it sounded hoarse and dry. His forehead rested against the edge of the door. Just the gentle call of her name was almost enough to bring her to tears, but (Y/N) didn't want to cry. She had cried more than enough last night.

  
Hesitantly, she approached Mike, wrapping her arms around his hoodie-clad waist. His arms fell to his sides, then hesitantly wrapped around her torso, hands resting on her upper back. His feet shifted to rock the both of them, a soft purr rising in his throat.

  
"(Y/N), I'm.. I'm sorry about yesterday.. Are you alright?" Mike asked softly, pulling from the hug to look down at her for her reaction. (Y/N) shook her head, gently grabbing Mike by the sides of the face,   
"I'm fine! Honestly, I should be the one saying that. Are you alright? You look like you've been crying.." Her eyebrows knit, a small frown on her face. Mike sighed and straightened up, stepping back to close the door so that they could talk on the couch. He led (Y/N) over, sitting with just enough space between him and the armrest for her to sit. She did so, before looking back up to him for an answer. He sighed, leaning back and shoving his hands in his hoodie pockets.

  
"After I ditched you at the diner, I felt awful. But, when I thought about going back to get you, I just.. Couldn't. I couldn't bring myself to go get you, because...... I don't even fucking know!" Mike's throat tightened, and his voice cracked with his next words, "I-I couldn't help but imagine your sad eyes and... So, pretty selfishly, I decided against going back so _I_ didn't have to see you sad. I just... I don't know, hearing that you had a boyfriend.. I guess it kinda hurt."

(Y/N) stared up at Mike, frowning a bit.   
"I'm sorry."

Mike's eyebrows knit, and he shook his head, "No. I know I'm the asshole in this situation - no question about it. I just.. ugh..."  
Mike's hands moved from his pockets, palms pressing to his head, and tried to stifle a whine from the back of his throat. He allowed a soft groan to slip before he stood, heading towards the kitchen, stumbling lightly. He reached into a cabinet to the far left of the kitchen, pulling out a bottle of aspirin. (Y/N) watched over the edge of the couch, watching him dry swallow about three or four of the small tablets. She frowned, standing to walk over to him, only for them to lock eyes, and her legs to freeze. His eyes were blurry and sad, and there was a pain to them.

"Mike.. Where is your car?"

Mike raised his eyebrows, almost not expecting that question. Surely, he didn't expect her to connect the dots, at least.. Not so quickly. Maybe she hadn't. Maybe he could slip past her.  
  
"It... broke down. Guess that was karma for ditching you. I've been kinda sick and headachey from the walk in the rain. I got a real taste of my own medicine, huh? That, and the neighbors were pretty noisy last night, too, when I tried to sleep. I was gonna call the cops, but it settled down before I could, so I assumed that whatever happened had been resolved,"

(Y/N) bowed her head, clenching her jaw and feeling her throat tighten. He could have ended it.. No, no, no. He didn't know... But, maybe he could? (Y/N) opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. When she tried to speak, it physically hurt her throat and chest to make sound. _Come on, say_ ** _something!_**  
But.. She couldn't.  
She couldn't lay that burden upon Mike - What if he got hurt in the process of helping her? A few tears threatened her eyes, but she was quick to wipe them away, pretending to be scratching her temple, then moving her hair. She looked up at him, smiling sympathetically.  
"Sorry you had to walk home in the rain. Hopefully you can get a mechanic over the weekend while were off of work. If not, we can at least walk together."

Mike's eyebrow's knit, and he looked up at her with a sad confusion, as if he didn't understand her kind words,   
"(Y/N)... I made you walk home in the freezing cold and rain, and you're concerned about me?" Mike's sadness turned more towards irritation, brow coming down to indicate so,  
"What the hell is up with you? I get putting others before you, but the way you do it, it's like you know better than them, or something. As if you're some god-sent that knows what's good for everyone. _Why do you do that!?"_

Mike's words were fueled by confusion. He wasn't angry at her - He was angry because he couldn't understand her kindness, her generosity and her ability to see past his flaws. It made him feel inferior, like he was such an asshole that he couldn't see past flaws like she did. Or maybe it felt like she was patronizing him, like he was a bratty child, and she was the rational adult. He balled his fists.  
  
"I-I don't mean it in a bad way, Mike. Being nice has always been kind of.. N-Natural, I guess? It's just really e-easy for me. Maybe not for other, b-but..."

The muscles in his arm shook. His chest tightened. Was she saying that he wasn't a nice person? He had shown her more than enough kindness to prove that wrong, so why was she saying this? He clenched his jaw, stepping closer. her body automatically stepped back, her eyebrows raising a bit in concern.

"Mike, are you alright? I didn't mean anything by it, I didn't mean to be condescending or anything . I just-"

"Shut up."

"W-What?"

_"I said, shut. UP!"_

Mike raised a hand, palm flat, pulling back subconsciously to get as much force in as possible. (Y/N)'s eyes went wide, knees turning to jelly as her hands instinctively shot up to block her face. She fell to her knees, a few tears forming in her eyes, which she had squeezed shut in fearful anticipation. However, the expected slap never came. Slowly, (Y/N) moved her eyes, looking up at Mike. He locked eyes with her, one hand covering his mouth while the other fell loosely to his side. He could see the fear in her eyes, and knew he had really screwed up. 

  
(Y/N) finally made a move, getting up and quickly heading to the door, fumbling with the lock.

"W-Wait, (Y/N), I didn't mean it-!" Mike started to approach her, hand out to grab her shoulder. She glanced back, eyes again widening, before she focused on getting the door open, this time much more frantic. Just as he got to her, she had thrown it open, heading down the hallway as fast as her legs would carry her, only to trip and fall, feeling the joint between her toes and foot bend forward much more than intended for a human body. Her body slid down the floor, the scratchy carpet showing no mercy to her right cheek. Geez, what is it with her and carpet burn? She began to stand, only to fall again as she put pressure on one of her feet. She must've hurt it pretty bad.

  
She got to her hands and knees, sobbing, as Mike quickly came to her side to aid her. His hands shook, and he couldn't help but feel like this was _his_ fault. She was hurt because he couldn't control his temper. She was just trying to protect herself. He sat on his knees beside her, pressing his palms to his forehead.   
"I'm sorry," He said, "God, I'm such an idiot. Are you alright? Jesus, I didn't mean to.. God.."

(Y/N) looked up at him through blurry, tear-filled eyes, hiccupping sobs, rolling onto her back. Her body shook, and he began to stand. He leaned down, grabbing her arms to help her up, pulling her close. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and his around her waist, and they slowly made their way back to his apartment.


	18. Chapter 18

(Y/N) sat, head in her hands, with Fritz awkwardly patting her back. After an all-too-close scare with Foxy, (Y/N) had began to break down. The animatronics had become super active, with multiple encounters every hour. Even Fritz found it strange that they were so active, though he kept quiet about the observation to avoid attracting more attention to them. It was 5:48 a.m., and (Y/N) was ready to just go home and pass out. The feeling was mutual, though, and Fritz sat back to check the cameras and wind the music box.

"Just another fifteen minutes. Were on the final stretch." Fritz said softly, trying to calm her down. She nodded, sitting back in her chair, exhaustion blanketing her mind. She had enjoyed the change of pace that had come with working with Fritz, but she was already beginning to miss Mike. At the same time, she knew that they needed some time apart, so that things didn't become more strained between them. That's why she wasn't going to stop by after work, either, even though she really, _really_ wanted to. She had to give him time, and more importantly, give herself time. She had realized, lately, that she hadn't focused on self-care, but the new job had begun to teach her that it was truly important to keep her mental health in check, especially with how often she had to deal with life threatening events on the daily. 

Despite the risk of her job, she felt more comfortable in the cramped back office with no doors to hide behind than she did in her own home. However, she couldn't stay forever. Especially since the chime signaling the end of their shift had just gone off. Fritz and (Y/N) stood in unison, giving each other a relieved look. Luckily, nothing too terrible had happened on their shift. At least, the both of them still had all of their limbs intact. Fritz said his goodbyes and headed out, with (Y/N) staying behind to 'say hi to the morning people'. Of course, it was just her trying to avoid home as long as possible. She stayed behind for awhile, actually, chatting and eventually talking one of the morning cooks to make her a small pizza for breakfast once the oven was ready. This took around an hour, where she just hung out with the morning staff. They were all actually very nice people, and they seemed to enjoy the extra hand in setting up, even if (Y/N) wasn't being paid for the work.  
Byron eventually arrived, greeting (Y/N), though he seemed surprised to see her there, eating a slice of pizza and chatting with a co-worker. He encouraged her to finish up and get home to rest, and alluded to the fact she sort of looked like a racoon with how tired she was. Of course, she was more than ready to head his advice, licking her finger and wiping them on her pants after finishing her last slice, before tossing her paper plate away and heading outside.  
The sun was just barely peeking over the neighborhood skyline, a consequence of the longer winter nights. The wind carried cool, crisp air past her, and she took in a deep, deep breath, until her lungs burned. It was cold, her breath coming out as visible little puffs, but she didn't mind.

The walk home was quiet, (Y/N)'s hands shoved in her pockets, her mind's focus flipping between a song that had been playing over Freddy's speakers and what pajamas she would wear after her shower. The distraction kept her from realizing who was in front of her as she began up the stairs to her apartment.

Mike.

He was heading upstairs as well, though glanced over his shoulder as he heard someone begin to follow him. He opened his mouth to say something, sleepy gaze fixed on the messy-haired beauty behind him. However, he kept himself quiet. His head was pounding from a hangover, and he didn't want to say anything stupid to her, so he kept moving, pulling his beanie farther over his face.  
Mike's night before had consisted of him getting shit-faced at the local pub, a weekly tradition that he had originally broken out of around a month ago; however, he had found himself needing some sort of release from reality after his mind had been cluttered with thoughts about (Y/N) and him, and her boyfriend. He couldn't wrap his head around things, so he didn't try. Instead, he drank, because his problems didn't exist when he was drunk, or passed out in the back of his car until the alcohol wore off.  
Now that he was, quite literally, right in front of her, he felt like he had let himself down, and like he had let her down. He wanted to say something, to just greet her or make sure she was doing alright or to apologies for being a dick all the time. However, he just let her pass, watching quietly as she walked up the stairs and slid into the second floor doorway. He sighed, rubbing his face and continuing up to the fifth floor, where he happily stumbled his way into his apartment, promptly face planted onto his couch.  
  
(Y/N) took her normal route when Mike was watching her walk upstairs, grateful he hadn't said anything. She felt bad for not saying anything to him, but she appreciated the lack of extra awkward tension between them. From the other side of the second floor, she headed up the stairs and to her own apartment, after checking that Mike was in his own. She slid inside and locked the door, yawning and stretching as she made her way to the bathroom. She started a bath, figuring it would help her warm up after the cold walk, and help her relax after the night of death-defying work. She stripped down, looking at herself in the mirror. She wasn't happy with what she saw, but it wasn't completely terrible either. She looked fuller than last time, so at least she was gaining some weight; however, her eyes spotted and honed in on every flaw, freckle and unpleasant detail of her body as the bath water heated up. She decided that it was time to stop when the steam had begun to did the mirror. She closed the drain and poured in some bath soap, watching the bubbled fill the tub. Once it was around half way full, she stepped inside, settling in a comfortable position, before letting it fill the rest of the way. She stopped the water and relaxed back into the tub, letting the hot water and bubble consume her, (H/C) strands floating and swirling around her (S/C) face. The redness in her cheeks paled as she warmed up, eyes closing as she relaxed.


	19. Chapter 19

(Y/N) jumped, the sound of water sloshing filling her ears as large hands on either shoulder shook her awake. Above her stood Lukas, a frustrated look on his face. She looked around quickly, body tensing and shivering once she realized how cold the water she'd fallen asleep in had gotten. 

"Just how _long_ have you been in here?" Lukas asked, voice already raised. Usually he didn't show his anger as soon as he saw her, up until recently. It didn't seem like she'd slept that long, but she knew that he'd probably be agitated just for her falling asleep in the bath in the first place, as if it was somehow a huge inconvenience to him.

"I.. I don't know. What time is it?" She murmured, sitting up and stretching her legs. 

"It's ten. I was sent home early, since we had too many people on the floor," He said, grabbing a towel from the bathroom cupboard, just to speed along the process of getting her out of the bath.

"O-Oh. I started my bath around, uh.. I think seven? I guess I was just really tired," She said groggily, hardly realizing she'd slept a full four hours in the tub. Lukas scoffed, grabbing her by her arm and forcing her to stand, before thrusting the towel he'd grabbed into her arms.

"Get yourself dried off, dumbass. I'm taking you out in a few hours, so I want you ready by four."

"O-Out? Where.. are we going?" (Y/N) asked, pulling up the stopper in the tub to allow the water to drain, before stepping out to dry off.

"A buddy of mine wants me to meet his girlfriend, and told me to bring you along, like on a double-date or whatever. Might as well take you, since you seem to have nothing better to do than sleep in the bath here," He said, turning to head out of the bathroom. "Just make yourself look decent. We're going to a bar and grill, so maybe wear a dress or something? And put on some makeup, you look like you got hit by a car."

With that, Lukas left the room, leaving (Y/N) to finish drying up. Going out? Double-date? She hadn't been on a date in a long time. She wrapped a towel around herself, walking into their bedroom. She got herself into some simple clothes to wear until it was closer to the time they had to leave - A tee-shirt and some sleep pants would get her by for now. She walked out from there, joining him in the living room to sit awkwardly on opposite sides of the couch from one another and watch TV. It wasn't long before Lukas had decided to get up and get ready, heading off to the bedroom. (Y/N) stayed behind for a few minutes, thinking about what might happen tonight. She shook her head - nothing bad would happen, not in front of his friends. He wouldn't risk people knowing he was a wife beater.  
Slowly, she stood herself up, heading into the bedroom. Inside, Lukas was deciding on whether to wear a tee-shirt or button up, barely sparing her a glance as she made her way to the closet. She didn't own many dresses or date clothes in general, so her options were fairly limited.

She decided on a (F/C) off-the-shoulder, long sleeve dress with a tight underskirt and sheer, flowy overskirt that allowed the opaque underskirt to be seen. With that, she grabbed a black jacket, plain black pumps and some pantyhose in a tone similar to her skin, a pair which she'd forgotten she'd owned. Once she was dressed, she looked to him for approval, stepping in front of him as he put a belt on. He looked her up and down and shrugged. It would do, it seemed, so she decided to step away to work on her makeup in the bathroom. She kept it very simple, deciding on an eyeliner and foundation, as well as some lip gloss that added a slight pink tint to her lips. She wasn't sure whether he wanted her to wear more than necessary, makeup wise, but decided to work on a simple smoky eye and a touch of highlighter around her face. She styled back her hair to fit her outfit, before stepping out of the bathroom to wait for him, as she was sufficiently dolled up.

Lukas led her to the door once he was ready to go, hand tightly gripping her shoulder, as if she would run as soon as he let go. She quietly followed him, playing with a loose strand of her hair as she walked with him. The walk down five flights of stairs was long and uncomfortable, neither of them willing to speak up the entire time. Once downstairs, Lukas threw his arm over her shoulder, giving a smile and wave to a neighbor as they passed. The way he was able to stay nonchalant and convince the people around him that he was a good guy was amazing. Once inside the car, he turned his preferred music on and quickly began to drive, seeming frustrated over.. something. Maybe it was because he was sent home early? Or maybe it was that she slept in the tub? Those seemed like such stupid things to be frustrated over, but she wouldn't rule them out - He'd gotten angry over less. Either way, (Y/N) opted to stay silent and keep her gaze forward through the drive.  
A good twenty minutes in, and Lukas pulled up to a stoplight, resting his hand firmly on her thigh without looking at her, his other hand still on the wheel.

"If you say _anything_ to them to make me look bad, I will beat your ass so hard you have to go to the emergency room. These are good friends of mine, and I won't have you talking about what we do behind closed doors. Do I make myself clear?"

(Y/N)'s throat tightened, body tense. Was he serious? He'd never threatened her like that - he tended to be more subtle about it. After a few moments of no response from her, he dug his nails into her thigh, grip tightening on her.

" _Do I make myself clear?_ " He repeated, voice low and dangerous.

(Y/N)'s voice came out hoarse and small, just barely audible over the quiet radio.  
" _Yes, Lukas.._ "

"Good," he said, drawing his hand from her leg and resting it on the wheel just as the light turned green. "It's just around the corner."


	20. Chapter 20

(Y/N) shifted nervously in her seat, across from a woman she had come to know as Eillen, or rather, Ellie. Next to her sat Lukas, and across from him, next to Ellie, was Ben. (Y/N) and Ben had met before, when her and Lukas had just gotten together. Ellie, on the other hand, was a new addition to the friend group. She was upbeat and loud, wearing a bright pink sun-dress and her long blonde hair in curls. (Y/N) felt like a trout next to a beta, like she could hardly compare to the radiant woman across from her. She felt Lukas rest his arm around her shoulders, gulping hard. A waiter approached her table, and she wished that she had the courage to order the safe word drink.

  
"So, what do you want to drink, sweetheart?" He said, sounding like a completely different person than who he was in the car ride here.

  
"I.. uhm, I think that a (Favorite Drink) would be fine." (Y/N) said softly, glancing up at Lukas and the waiter. Ben and Ellie ordered their own drinks, and the waiter handed over menus to look over while the drinks were being prepared.  
After a bit of thought, everyone but (Y/N) seemed to have decided on what to eat, with Lukas watching her read through the menu.

  
"Are you not hungry babe? Did you have too much pizza earlier? Guys, she works at a kids restaurant - I'm proud of her, being able to put up with that all day," he said, pulling her closer while he talked to his friends. She nodded shyly, looking up over the menu.  
"I-I don't really work with the kids actually, but they're really sweet when I do," she said, recalling when kids would be just heading out at the end of the night or coming in for an early morning breakfast pizza.

  
"Oh yeah? That sounds cool. I actually work at a daycare, so I get how tiring little ones can be," Ellie said, catching (Y/N)'s attention. That was surprising - she would've expected Ellie to be a model or something. Her and Ben looked like a modeling couple who would promote protein granola bars and weight loss supplements on Instagram. How did Ben and Lukas ever become friends anyway? They seemed like totally different people, unless Lukas kept up this fake good-guy personality up all the time around him. Is that how he gets people to like him? Why was that surprising to her? That's how he got her to like him.

  
"I think I'll just have the.. (Kids Menu Item [Chicken Strips, Grilled Cheese, etc.]). I'm not that hungry right now."  
Lukas nodded, placing a kiss on her temple, before looking up as the waiter brought their drinks over. (Y/N) felt her body heat up, but not in a good way. She was angry. How could he treat her like nothing was wrong in public, then 180 as soon as they got home? What was wrong with him!? She heard his voice in the background of her mind, faintly ordering their food, but she was lost in her thoughts at that point. She knew him for exactly what he was, and she needed to tell someone. She needed to tell Ellie and Ben, about who they were friends with. She needed to do it without Lukas knowing either. Maybe she could wait for him to use the bathroom? Or maybe she could create a situation that got her and Ellie alone?

  
The waiter left them alone, and she quietly grabbed her drink, sipping it slowly. She shifted in her seat, mulling over her options, before deciding on a plan. It was an admittedly bad plan, but one nonetheless - at the very least, these people wouldn't associate with Lukas anymore.

  
(Y/N) waited for the food to arrive, quietly eating while the others chatted. She built up the courage to do what she had to, taking a sip of her drink, then setting it down. After a slow, shaky breath, she quickly reached towards the condiment holder for some napkins, 'accidentally' hitting her cup with her palm, knocking her drink over Ellie's lap. She sat back in shock, eyes wide. She was surprised that she was actually able to go through with it, but the guilt quickly set in, putting out the small spark of confidence she had conjured.

  
"I am so sorry, Ellie- I-I didn't mean to hit my cup like that--" she said, heart racing, feeling Lukas's eyes burning into the side of her skull.

  
"Oh, no no, it's alright. I'm used to having things spilled all over me. Uhm, do you think you could help me dry off in the bathroom?" She said, quickly standing up once Ben allowed her out of the booth. (Y/N) nodded, standing up and stepping out once Lukas allowed her to pass. Napkins in hand, (Y/N) tried to get as much off of her dress along the way, though it seemed like a lost cause until they could get it cleaned in a washer. Once in the bathroom, (Y/N) stopped by the sink, becoming visibly shaky, holding back tears - if she cried, her makeup would run and Lukas would notice.

  
"E... Ellie, I'm really sorry-"

  
"No, it's okay. I was hoping to get my food to-go soon anyway. I'll get this washed at home."

  
"I, uhm, have to-"

  
"No, you don't have to do anything. It was just an accident-"

  
"I... Ellie, I had to get you away from the table."

  
Ellie stopped rubbing at her dress with the napkin in her hand, looking over at (Y/N). She stood with her back to Ellie, palms pressed against the counter, staring in the mirror.

"I.. didn't have any better ideas. It was all I could come up with to get alone with you. Ellie, I know we just met, but.."

  
"(Y/N).. you're sweet, but I don't think that's appropriate. I'm with Ben, and I'm not into women-"

  
"Oh, no, that's not what I'm trying to say! I'm so sorry!"

  
She turned around, looking Ellie in the eyes, taking a deep breath, taking fistfuls of her dress to calm herself.  
"Ellie... I.. I think you should do yourself and Ben a favor and don't be friends with Lukas. He isn't a good person."

  
Ellie paused, eyebrows raised, watching the (H/C)'d girl in front of her.  
"What do you mean by that, (Y/N)?" Ellie asked, setting her napkins aside to gently take (Y/N)'s arms in her hands.  
"Ellie.. Lukas-"  
  
The young women paused, looking over as there was a knock on the restrooms door, bodies stiff.  
  
" _You two alright in there? Is it a bad stain?_ "


	21. Chapter 21

(Y/N) stared at the door, a chill running up her spine.  
' _Lukas.._ ' she thought, biting her tongue gently. She couldn't comfortable explain herself any farther without Lukas possibly hearing, so she decided to remain quiet until Ellie decided to speak up.  
"Yeah, sorry! It's nothing a quick run though the wash can't fix. I was almost ready to pack up anyway, since I have work tomorrow."

"If you say so. Me and Ben are gonna pay for our food and get our cars warmed up,"  
With that, Lukas seemed to leave them alone, much to both of their reliefs'. Ellie looked to (Y/N), frowning, eyebrows knit.  
"What was it you were saying.. About Lukas?"

"I..." (Y/N) picked at the skin around her nails nervously, throat tight, eyes stinging a touch with tears. "I'm s-sorry..."  
"No, there's nothing to be sorry about!" Ellie said, gently grabbing (Y/N) by the shoulders. "Take your time, and tell me what's going on.."

(Y/N) rubbed her tears away, sniffling softly, before looking up at Ellie.  
"Lukas, he... He beats me..." She said softly, again rubbing one of her eyes with her wrist. "He hurts me in any way he can.. He hurts me and yells at me and l-locks me in the closet..."  
As she spoke, her words came out between sobs, and she could barely form a sentence. Ellie pulled her into a hug, patting her back.  
"Oh god, that's horrible. Here, take a minuet to calm down, alright?" Ellie said hesitantly. She'd never had to face a situation like this, and was unsure of what to do. Did she keep talking, or stay silent? Should she just hug (Y/N), or pet her hair and pat her back? Was that uncomfortable for her? It seemed like (Y/N) was able to relax a bit, so surely she was doing something right.

"How long has this been going on?" Ellie asked, carefully pulling away from the hug.  
"A.. Almost two years," She said, voice barely over a whisper.  
Ellie went silent after that, just letting (Y/N) release her emotions. However, soon enough, (Y/N) began to calm down.

"Have you not been able to leave him..?"  
  
"Never had anywhere to go or money to provide for myself until now."

"You know, Ben and I wouldn't mind taking you in, if you need somewhere away from Lukas."

"No, no.. I.... Don't want him to know I told anyone until it's safe for me to leave. I want to give it just a little bit longer, until I've saved up enough to move out, so that I can just tell the police and leave. I appreciate the offer, but I wouldn't feel right taking up space in your home,"

"Oh, sweetheart, you wouldn't be taking up space.. But, if you're sure, at least let me give you my number, in case you _do_ need somewhere to go. I wouldn't feel right letting you go back without some sort of safety net," Ellie grabbed a piece of paper towel, pulling a pen from her purse and scribbling down her number, "You were brave to have said anything at all. Here, hide this before we leave the bathroom. Tuck it in your bra,"

Ellie folded the paper towel, handing it to (Y/N), who promptly did as she was told and tucked it into one of her bra cups. Ellie smiled, patting her shoulder, before leading her out of the bathroom.

They made their way out to the parking lot, silent, but with an air of lifted tension between them. They both seemed happy as they got into their respective cars. Ellie waved out the window to (Y/N) as Ben took off, and (Y/N) happily returned the gesture.

"Your friends are really nice, Lukas." (Y/N) said, leaning back in her seat to buckle up.

"Mhmm." He murmured quietly, keeping his gaze straight as he pulled out of the lot. Something was on his mind, and she could only assume that he was still angry about her fumbling with the drink earlier. Him being angry at that was better than not being able to confide in someone about her relationship issues. She would have talked to Mike, but she felt uncomfortable doing that - he obviously had some sort of feelings for her, so talking about relationship troubles would just further strain their relationship. Plus, Ellie seemed more reasonable and level headed.

Lukas pulled into his parking spot, getting out of the car, with (Y/N) following right behind him. As they walked up the stairs, they passed Mike, who seemed to be on his way down to head to get his mail or to go to the store, by the looks of his baggy, unkempt sleep clothes - otherwise she would have assumed he was heading to work, albeit early. They avoided looking at each other, like they were strangers. Lukas grabbed her hand and began to guide her up the stairs faster.

(Y/N) slipped off her shoes as soon as she stepped past the threshold of their apartment, setting them by the door, where she could grab them to our away later. For now, she was ready to, hopefully, relax. However, as soon as she had made her way to the hall, she felt a hand grab her by the back of the head and push her against the hall closet door, a knee in between her thighs. Lukas's face closed in, getting close to her ear.  
Her body trembled under his grip.

"So, you think you can just spout off to my friends and get away with it?"  
He pressed closer, keeping her pinned against the door, despite her squirming.  
"I've told you hundreds of times that I would fucking kill you if you told anyone,"  
He grabbed her by the neck from behind, spinning her around to pin her, by the neck, to the door. Her hands instinctively reached to pry his off of her delicate throat.  
"I won't kill you, but I swear to God, by the time I'm done with you, you'll be begging me to end your pathetic life."


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a little background chapter :).

(Y/N) felt bad about moving away at first, and even though her parents supported her, both emotionally and financially, she felt like she was piggyback off of them too much.  
Her mother, carryings two boxes stacked on top of one another, looked over as (Y/N) turned on the lights to her new dorm. It seemed that her roommate hadn't made their way to the dorms yet for move-in day, but (Y/N) would do her best to define clear boundaries and give her new roomie lots of space to set up.

"Here, the bedrooms are over here. I think they wanted the one on the left, so I'll take this one." (Y/N) explained, leading her mother inside.

"Maybe if we finish early, we can stick up the kitchenette for you and your new friend," her mother suggested, setting the boxes down on the provided desk.

"Maybe we can go out to eat, first, so that I don't eat all of our snacks before they get here?" (Y/N) joked, opening one of the boxes and pulling out some stuffed animals.

"We need to get your bedding in here. It's in the back seat right?" Mom said, heading out of the room as she spoke. (Y/N) followed, shaking her head.  
"It's in the trunk, too, I just shoved it in the back, around one of the fragile boxes."

(Y/N) and her parents weaved through parents and students, all trying their best to get their possessions out of their cars and into their kid's dorm rooms. They expected move in day to be hectic, though, as so they tried their best to give everyone else space as well.

After about 15 or so minutes of carrying boxes into her dorm, (Y/N) and her family were able to begin unpacking and setting up. Her parents wanted her room to be functional, at the very least, by the time they were out of there, so they waisted no time getting Ikea drawer stands and bed leg extensions out and and put together while (Y/N) began to fill her closet and put pictures, posters and LED lights on her walls. By the end of the night, they had a new room that looked like it'd already been lived in. They called it a good day's work and went to get dinner at Denny's.

Days go by and (Y/N) adjusts more to college dorm life. Her roommate, a short-haired blonde girl named Echo wanting to become an astronaut, was easy to get along with. She had helped Echo move in, but after that, she almost never saw the chick. She seemed to be studying hard before classes even started - of course, that's to be expected from someone who has to get a Master's in a STEM field for their job.

After awhile of adjusting to dorm life, (Y/N) finally had to begin attending classes. This college was large, having up to 100 student lectures and big lecture halls to accommodate such classes. It was a state college, after all, and seemed like one of the easiest first steps into adult life for her.  
Her classes were far apart, so (Y/N) made a point to get a head start and walk to her first class early. Once she'd gotten there, she sat down, realizing the lack of students in the room. A professor sat at the desk in front of the hall, setting up a projector and slideshow, most likely to introduce himself and his class to everyone.

(Y/N) awkwardly shifted in her seat, watching as other students began to fill the large lecture room. This was her first time in such a big class - her average high school class had only been 15 to 20 kids, if that - and the large amount of people made her a bit anxious. She looked down at her bag, next to her right leg, digging inside to grab her laptop. Maybe she could good around online firing the presentation to calm herself. To her left, someone sat beside her, prompting her to sit up. She looked up at the man beside her, raising her eyebrows. He set his own laptop down, then looked down at her, smiling a bit.

"Hey, hope you don't mind me sitting here. You just look like the smartest person in the room."

(Y/N) giggled softly, shrugging as she opened her laptop.  
"I wouldn't think so, but thanks for the complement."

"No problem, haha. This section seemed pretty lonely anyway.. Uhm, what are you majoring in?"

(Y/N) shrugged, pulling up a meme website on her laptop.  
"I was gonna get my associates and decide on a major after seeing the programs the school offers in person. What about you?"

"I originally wanted to go to trade school, but my parents wanted me to at least get a bachelor's degree first. They swear up and down that I wouldn't like trade school,"

"Aw, that sucks. My parents never really pushed me in any one direction-"

"Good morning class. I'm Professor Quindall, but just call me Mr.Aiden."

"We can talk more after class," (Y/N) said quietly, smiling a bit. He nodded, pulling up the website she was on, on his own laptop. They could share memes to pass the time.

☆☆☆

"I'm happy to start getting to know you all, I feel like this is gonna be an awesome semester. You're free to leave, but you can stick around if you have any questions for me,"  
Mr.Quindall said, turning off the projector and putting away the slide show clicker he'd been using the entire time. Some students wandered down towards him, and others headed out of the room.  
(Y/N) began packing her stuff, nearly knocking over let laptop in the process. Of course, the boy next to her caught it. He held it out to her, and she took it from him.  
"Whew, thanks. I was scared my laptop was a goner."  
"Haha, yeah, I saw it start to fall. You're welcome... Actually, what if your name?"

"Oh, I'm (Y/N). What's yours?"

"My name's Lukas,"


	23. Chapter 23

(Y/N)'s nails tried futilely to claw at Lukas's hand, which had tightened around her small neck, pinning her against the hallway closet door.

"L.. Lu..kas.." she sputtered, vision fading in and out in spots of black and purple. He tightened his grip, throwing her onto the floor. She gasped for air, but it was quickly snatched from her as a sharp kick to the stomach winded her. She gagged on the air that escaped her lungs, struggling and wheezing for breath.

"You stupid fucking bitch! You're such a waste of fucking air, you know that!??" He yelled at her, kicking her again and again as he did. She brought her arms up to protect her head, crying out in pain between gaspy sobs.

"I should have fucking known. You're the clumsiest bitch I know, but I should've realized you did that on purpose,"

He grabbed her by the hair, dragging her into the middle of the living room, smashing her face into the coffee table.

"I'm surprised you were able to even tell Ellie though, since you're just a little crybaby cunt. I can't believe you'd out me. After all I've done for you!?"

He threw her back to the ground, pinning her down by the chest with his foot. Blood ran down her face from her nose. She couldn't get a word in edgewise.

"I put a roof over your head when you couldn't afford rent, and food when student loans were too much. I was there for you when you had arguments with your parents. I've put up with your bullshit! I'm the only one who ever would, because you're just a pathetic, ugly, retarded whore who can't do shit for herself!!"

He stomped down hard on her stomach. She cringed, mouth opening in pain, but no sound came out. It sounded like something had crunched. She tried to push him off of her, but he only pressed down harder. Her hands trembled, pain shooting through her body. 

"L... huff.. please...." Tears rolled down her face. He pulled his foot away, grabbing her by the hair and getting her to her knees. She rested on her hands and knees, coughing hard, taking a moment to breath. 

"Take off your clothes." Lukas said simply, arms crossed. She sat for a few moments, before hesitantly working her dress off. This would hurt less than being beaten.   
He began to work his belt off, waiting until she was completely undressed. He folded it over, watching her silently. She looked up at him, confused, until she felt the leather hit her across the cheek. She cried out, falling to her side, just barely catching herself with her arms. He brought it down again, twice, leaving stinging welts over her left side. 

"S-Stop, please!" She cried out, getting on her back and moving backwards away from him. He, being on his feet, was much quicker than her, grabbing her by the arm and pushing her to lean over the coffee table. He pinned her against the cold wood, pressing his palm against her upper back, using his free hand to beat her with his belt. Large, red welts began to appear over her back, stinging and burning with each new hit, and he continued until her back began to bleed. She cried and screamed, and he shoved her balled up shirt in her mouth to muffle her. 

He dragged her around by her hair, kicking and hitting her, breaking her down over the span of an hour. With every hit she began to feel more numb, and every kick made her fall more quiet. Once he had let his anger out, he became bored of her, simply dragging her to the closet. Her closet. He opened the door, tossing her broken body inside and closing the door. 

She laid where she had been tossed, bleeding and bruised, tears streaking her face. She couldn't tell whether her left ankle was sprained or broken, and she could feel two of her ribs on her right side jab into her skin, much more obviously broken. A dull pain throbbed through her back, and she tried to get onto her knees. She slid forward on her hands, laying herself on the ground as best she could. She let herself cry, silently, as to not bother Lukas. With each hiccup and shudder, she could feel pain course through her body. With each wheezy breath she let out, she became more and more tired. 

She carefully rolled onto her back, curling up as best she could without putting unnecessary pressure on her injuries, closing her eyes. She relaxed her shoulders, calming her breathing. She pressed her back against the cool wall, hoping it would help with the dull burning running through her whip lashed skin. Closing her eyes, she felt her body sink into the floor. She couldn't sleep, but she could rest her eyes.

She had a plan.


	24. Chapter 24

Mike stumbled into the lobby of the apartments, having just gotten home from the bar. As usual, the bartender had called a taxi for him, which he had happily taken home. Every time the couple next door fought, he felt it necessary to leave. He wanted to complain, but noise complaints did next to nothing for him - by the time he complained, the fight had usually died down.

He made his way up stairs, clinging to the rails like they were an old friend, mumbling to himself about how many stairs were were and how they needed to fix that stupid fucking elevator. Once on his floor, he carefully walked down the hall - he would used th walls for balance, but he'd bump up against doors and bother people, and he didn't feel like being yelled at right now. He got to his door, grabbing his keys and shakily trying to unlock the door. He, with a bit of perseverance and luck, was able to unlock the door, stepping inside with a yawn.  
  
His apartment was oddly silent when he walked in. Nothing could be heard from the neighbors. He assumed they'd gone to bed, or at the very least, had resolved their issues. He almost missed the noise, because the silence made him think. Think about work. Think about (Y/N). He wanted to see her again. He couldn't believe that guy was her boyfriend. He seemed so... aggressive. Mike could be aggressive too, though. He tried to fight it, but his emotions would take over. Just like tonight.

He laid on his couch, arms tucked under the throw pillow, face buried in the crevice between the pillow and the couch back. His head throbbed, and so did his heart... And his crotch. God, he hated to think about her in that way, but he couldn't help it. As long as he didn't mention his attraction, sexual or romantic, to her, he felt like he'd be fine. Maybe he'd even be able to keep a friendship for once.

A few minutes of silence passed before Mike's brows furrowed, and he propped himself up with his arms. In his drunken state, he couldn't tell whether he was just hearing things, or whether there actually _was_ some sort of knocking coming from his bedroom.

He stood himself up, slowly walking to his room and opening the door slowly. After making sure there was no one inside, he explored the room to see where it was coming from. It went quiet, just for a few moments, before coming through the wall again, like a knock on the door.

He approached the wall that separated his and his neighbor's apartments. He listened again. It came from behind his desk. Gently, he knocked on the wall in return. It went silent for a few long moments, then more knocking from the neighbor's side. He pushed his desk and chair out of the way, before getting on his knees and knocking again.

After a little while of drunken morse code through the wall, Mike finally decided to speak up, leaning up against the wall.  
"Sooo, uh... Whaaat's this about?" He said, words slurred, but clear enough to understand. After a few moments, the person on the other side spoke up. Her voice made him sober.

"Mike... Call the police, please..."

Mike stared at the blank wall, dumb with shock. That.. that was (Y/N)'s voice. But, she lived downstairs, didn't she? Was that her boyfriend's apartment? If so, were _they_ the couple that would keep him up with their fighting?

"(Y...Y/N)?? Are you alright? What are you doing in there?"

"Please, Mike.." Her voice came out wheezy and hoarse, "I'll explain later. Call the police. Please...."

He felt his heart shatter. She sounded tired and quiet and in pain, like her voice was coming from 1000 miles away. He fumbled with his phone, pulling it from his pocket and struggling to open the lock screen. Once in, he tapped on the phone app and dialed 911.

"Are you hurt? I-I can ask for an ambulance,"

"Y... Yeah. I think my rib's broken..." She murmured.

He held the phone up to his ear, with the operator asking about what he had just said.  
"I-I was asking if she was hurt. We're at [address], apartment 5.. 5.. 15. 515. Sorry, I'm.."  
Mike looked back at the wall, biting his lip, "W-We need an ambulance?? Her rib's broken. I think she's trapped."

"Trapped, sir? Do you mean she's stuck or locked in somewhere?"

"Locked in, I think."

".. _Closet_."

"L-Locked in a closet."

The operator went quiet, typing this as he spoke.

"I have an ambulance and two units on their way. Can you give me more information? Let's start with your name. Is this call about yourself or someone with you?"

"Mike Schmidt. She's (Y/N) (L/N), m-my..... _my coworker_. I live in the apartment next to the one she's in..."

He gently knocked again, before asking though the wall, "How did you get hurt?"

"...... _Lukas_.."  
Her voice sounded so, so sad. It made his heart ache. Tears threatens to form in his eyes. He raised the phone back to his ear.  
  
"She said 'Lukas' hurt her. Her boyfriend. I'm talking to her through the wall."

"Units should be there in less than five minutes sir. Please stay on the line until they arrive. Do you know of the whereabouts of 'Lukas'?"

"No, I don't. It's quiet, the TV isn't even on. He might be asleep."

"Alright. Can you ask (Y/N) if she is able to recall what happened for me?"

"Yeah," he pulled the phone away from his face, "(Y/N).. can you... Tell me what happened?"

" _Lukas got angry_..."

"Why?"

" _....._ "

"...Do you want me to come in the ambulance with you?"

" _....._ "

He raised the phone back to his face, relaying what he'd been told. He could hear sirens approaching. They had to be pretty close, because his bedroom didn't have windows.

"(Y/N), the police are almost here.."

" _Thank you Mike.._ "

"It's okay.. you know I really care about you, (Y/N), right?"

" _Mike..._ "

"No, I really mean it. I really, really do."

" _You sound drunk.._ " Her raspy voice hinted at disbelief of his statement. Lukas almost always had to be drunk to say something sincerely sweet to her, so why would it be any different for Mike?

"Only a little bit. B-But I mean it," those tears swelled in his eyes again, and he stood up,  
"I gotta go wait for the cops,"

He set his phone on his desk, operator still on the line, making his way out to his door. He opened it. Just down the hall, he saw officers just coming from the stairs. He waved them over, leaning on his doorframe for support.

"She's in that apartment, just here next door. In a closet. That's where she's locked in, in a closet," he said. One of the officers stepped aside to talk to Mike while the others talked and got ready to knock.

"Sir, are you the one to call?"

"Yeah. I heard knocking on my wall, and this girl I know said she was locked in on the other side,"

"...Sir, have you been drinking?"

"Don't worry officer, the bartender called a cab for me. He _always_ makes me leave my car there,"

The officer sighed, "Can I have your name?"

"Mike.. hey, are you two just gonna stand there, or are you gonna help her? She got a broken rib, dontcha know?" He said, glaring at the other two officers, who now seemed skeptical.

"Sir," the cop who had been asked questions said, "Have you taken any other substance than alcohol tonight?"

Mike stood for a few moments, processing the question, before glaring.

"I'm not some junkie! I know she's in there!"

"Sir, calm down, please be quiet-"

"No! She's hurt, she needs your help-"

"We will help her, but you're going to need to calm down, unless you want to be detained."

Mike locked his jaw, but stayed quiet, looking back at the other two cops. They were about to knock, but the door opened. In the doorway was a man, shorter than Mike, but stockier in build. He recognized the guy as Lukas.

Lukas glared out into the hall, then paused. He looked like he'd been woken up. Everyone looked to him.  
  
"Oh, I was wondering what all the commotion was. You're arresting that guy? Probably drove home drunk or something, huh? Pft,"

"No, actually-" One of the officers said, crossing his arms, though he was cut off by Mike.

" _I_ called the police about _you_ ,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha double cliff hangers ;)


	25. Chapter 25

" _What the fuck? You really must be drunk!_ " (Y/N) heard Lukas shout angrily, though it was muffled by the walls of the closet. His voice made her heart throb, a few tears stinging her eyes in a desperate attempt to fall. She sniffled and leaned her head against the wall.

"Drunk or not, I _know_ (Y/N)'s locked in your apartment!" Mike growled, crossing his arms to keep himself from throwing a punch. The last thing he needed was to be pinned for assult while trying to save (Y/N).  
  
Lukas's face shifted a bit in dismay at the sound of (Y/N)'s name, but he continued.  
"And, uh, what _proof_ do you have of that?"

"She told me, duh-"

"You two, please settle down. Your neighbors--"

"And how the hell would she be able to tell you if she's 'locked' in my apartment??"

"She told me through the wall- you know, the paper-thin ones that I can always hear you two arguing through!? Officers, I've put in multiple noise complaints against Lukas's apartment and nothing ever came of it. You can probably check with the landlord and he'd confirm that-"

"That's ridiculous. If that were true, I'd be able to hear you every time you pity-jerked it-"

"Like I could hear every time you beat her??"

"Enough!!" An officer shouted, standing in between the two, who had subconsciously began to walk towards each other. Lukas and Mike went quiet, glaring at each other from across the hallway.

"I've had enough of you two! You're both going to be detained. Both of you, get on the ground, hands out in front of you."

Mike hesitantly obliged, not wanting to make the cop more angry than he already was. He wasn't planning on going to jail tonight. He got onto his hands and knees, then laid out flat, hands where the officers could see them. Lukas, however, objected.

"No way! You have no reason to detain me! You're gonna take some drunk asshole's word over mine??"

"You're being detained for disturbing the peace and inciting violence, as I've determined that both of you were fixing to throw punches. On the floor, now."

The cop's tone dropped from outwardly aggressively to quiet and dangerous. His hand hovered near his taser. Lukas let out a huff, jaw clenched as he got onto the ground. The other officer cuffed and patted down Mike, emptying his pockets of his wallet and phone, while the other officer did the same for Lukas - though his sleep pants had no pockets to search. Once they had determined Mike and Lukas were non-threats, they were sat up against the wall.

The officers talked back and forth a bit, before determining the best course of action was to enter and search Lukas's apartment.

"You stay out here, and I'll enter the home-"

"You can't do that! I didn't give you consent to search my apartment!" Lukas stood from his spot against the wall. Both officers grabbed their tasers and pointed them at Lukas.

"Sit down, now! You've been detained and your home will be searched, as we are under the impression that a person is being held against their will in your home. If you do not sit down, you will be tased."

Lukas took a step forward, sure that the officers wouldn't actually hurt him, "Nobody's in my apartment! My girlfriend is at work! This dude is her coworker and he thinks getting me arrested will make her date him!"

Disbelief washed over Mike's face.  
"You're fucking insane of you think that I'd have to send you to jail to have (Y/N) date me. She'd probably be with me right now if she didn't think you'd kill her for leaving you!!"

"Maybe in your wildest wet dreams-!"

The officers didn't budge, one of them even pointing their taser at Mike.  
  
"Lukas. Sit. Down!" The officer demanded, "You will be tased and I will not be the least bit sorry about it. Both of you need to calm down, or you will be arrested!"

Mike went silent, clenching his jaw. There's no way that (Y/N) would choose Lukas over him if given the choice, right...? That wasn't important right now! He needed to keep his head out of his ass and level himself out.

Lukas shook his head, taking another step.  
"You didn't become an officer to- AHH!"

Lukas fell to the ground with a hard 'thud!', brought down by the taser he'd been tempting. Once the officer had determined Lukas was sufficiently fried, he stopped and looked to his partner. Mike could hardly hold in a snicker.

The officer closer to Mike called for backup, waiting for them to arrive before the other could search the apartment. Once two other officers had arrived, they split off into groups. Two stayed out by Mike and Lukas while the other two entered Lukas's home. They checked the kitchen, bedroom and bathroom, but we're stopped at the hall closet. It was locked, but the latch could simply be undone. The shined their flashlights inside, catching sight of (Y/N), looking beaten and damn-near dead. She raised her hands, covering her face, half out of embarrassment and half due to the bright light being shone in her face. One officer carefully approached her, the other calling the paramedics up to the apartment. The officer inside carefully helped (Y/N) get to the edge of the closet, sitting on their knees beside her to ask questions until the paramedics got there.

Mike watched as paramedics made their way from the stairs towards the apartment, two of them approaching Lukas and Mike, and the third heading into the apartment. They'd determined that Mike was fine, as he hadn't been punched or tased yet. Lukas was still a bit shocked that he had actually been tased, but physically was alright.

Meanwhile, inside the apartment, the EMT was crouched beside (Y/N), absolutely horrified at her condition. She had some obviously broken bones and nasty bruises littering her body. He radioed to his partners, asking for a blanket, an extra set of hands and a stretcher upstairs. The two attending to Mike and Lukas rushed downstairs.

It wasn't long before the EMTs had returned, followed by a third. Two of them carried a Reeves stretcher, the third carrying supplies and a blanket. Mike watched the door closely.

The EMTs rested the stretcher on the ground and carefully got (Y/N) onto it, checking her over for any possibly wounds that might need to be addressed then and there, before carefully covering her with the blanket and strapping her in. Two EMTs, positioned at either end of the stretcher, hoisted it up, mindful of her pretty broken state. All four walked her out of the apartment.

At the sight of her messy (H/C) hair and bruised (S/C) skin, Mike was back on his feet, standing still to not provoke the cops. Lukas followed, taking a few quick steps towards her, before being grabbed by an officer from behind. The other officer sat Mike back down.

Lukas struggled in his grip, growling.

"You're a fucking bitch, you know that!? I've always fucking hated you! That's why I faked having longer shifts, you know! Cause I was out, fuckin' a bitch ten times hotter than you!" He barked, watching the paramedics rush her away, through he was soon on the ground, a cop pinning him down.  
"I hope you kill yourself, you dumb cutter whore!" He called out, before being silenced with one of the officer's tasers.


	26. Chapter 26

Mike stared up at the ceiling, squinting a bit, the florescent lights glaringly bright above him. His hands rested in his lap, feet kicking at the carpeted floor of the hospital waiting room. The night before, he had gone to the police station in cuffs to answer questions and sober up a bit, and had been taken home by an officer once they had asked all they could.  
The next morning, he'd called himself out of work for that night, as well as informed Byron about (Y/N)'s situation in as vague of terms as he possible could- she was in the hospital, he wanted to be there to support her, and he was unwilling to go into more detail unless she was okay with it. Byron, luckily, understood and said he would change the schedule to accommodate them. Mike knew Jeremy and Fritz would be absolutely pissed with him, but he needed to be there for (Y/N). They would understand.  
Now he sat, a commercial for Olive Garden quietly playing in the background, nearly drowned out by the sound of a kid playing a game on their tablet and the sound of nurses and assistants and desk people and patients all bustling about. He didn't care about the annoying sounds and the dull ache through his hungover head, he needed to keep his candy-ass right where it was until he was allowed to see her.

(Y/N) stared up at the ceiling, laying under the thin blanket provided to her, a tray set up beside her with breakfast on it. The delicious smell of eggs and toast invaded her senses, and she considered rolling onto her side and covering her face with her blanket to hide from it. However, her broken bones and slung foot prevented her from doing so. Her body ached, and she just wanted to be asleep at this point. However, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't.  
She was exhausted, but had been unable to sleep since she'd gotten here. Every moment felt like hours, and she could only count the minutes as they slowly rolled by. She glanced up at her door opened, a nurse stepping inside to check in on her.

"Oh, you haven't touched your food. I can adjust your bed for you if you can't figure out the buttons-"

"'m not hungry.."

The nurse stared over at her, frowning a touch.  
  
"Oh. Well, that's alright. I can have someone take the tray if you need. I just came up to ask if you're alright with visitors."

"Oh, uh... Yeah, I guess.. just leave the food there, I'll get to it later.."  
She said half heartedly, not really knowing who would actually visit her - nor expecting to eat her food, but she'd rather not make them think they'd have to tube feed her. Lukas was arrested, her parents were across the state and Mike was probably passed out and hung over. However, soon after the nurse had left, someone else stepped into the room. Lo and behold, it was.. Mike.  
At first, she didn't acknowledge him, assuming he was just a nurse who'd come to grab the tray. However, when she realized he'd stopped in the doorway and hadn't moved from that spot, she finally looked over.

"Are you, uh.. trying to sleep? If you are, I can just leave, o-or I can sit over there and wait for you to wake up-"

"Mike..."

Mike went quiet, swallowing his anxiety and stepping all the way into the room.  
  
"I.. came to make sure you were alright. I'm so sorry, I should've done something sooner-"

"You didn't know-"  
  
"But I _did_. I didn't know it was you, but I knew someone was being hurt, and I did nothing about it. I should've done something sooner," he sighed, pulling up a chair.

"I'm sorry about being drunk last night. If I had realized what I would be coming home to, I would've laid off the drinks earlier,"  
  
"It's.. alright, you didn't know. I'm fine. I'll be fine. Thank you, though, for helping me. It... Really means a lot."

"Well, you mean a lot. I mean-! No one deserves that, to be afraid in their own home, to be locked in a closet and hurt like that.." Mike rubbed the back of his neck, voice going quiet. A silence took over the room, with (Y/N) quietly observing him while he settled in the chair he'd chosen.

"How are you, though, really? I bet you hurt like hell," he glanced over at the tray of food left at her bedside, "You hungry? I can... Help you eat, if you need me to-"

"I don't... Uh.. I'm not that hungry, really," she murmured. He raised his eyebrows.

"You don't have to beat around the bush with me. I know your situation, and what you must be going through,"

"That's.. it's sweet Mike, but I'd rather not talk about it right now.."

"I understand..."

Mike and (Y/N) sat in silence for a long time, gazes both eventually shifting to the TV in the upper right hand corner of the room, which she'd absently set to Cartoon Network earlier. Occasionally, their gazes would flick from the screen to each other, but they were, at the very least, able to relax again. Mike smiled over at her.

"It's kinda nice here, isn't it? It's lucky this was the closer hospital, the others nearby aren't as good,"

"I guess.." She murmured, shrugging.

"Oh, uh.. do you not like this hospital?"

"I just.. don't wanna be here. I-I wanna go home. This blanket's too thin and I can't relax with my foot up like this. My ribs hurt. I feel like my nose's bleeding but every tissue I use comes away clean.."  
She glanced away, cheeks heating up a little in embarrassment,  
"I feel like I'm being a winey brat, but I just wanna be anywhere but here. I just... I don't even know where _to_ go, now that Lukas's been arrested.."

Mike listened to her ramble, raising his eyebrows a bit.

"Well.... You could, uh, always stay at my place? I could give you the bed, or see if my blowup mattress still works. You can bring over the bedding from your old apartment, a-and store your stuff at my place. Just until you're better and have the money to move."

"Mike, I couldn't. I would just be in the way.."

"No you wouldn't- my bedroom's kind of long and I don't have a lot of furniture in it. I could put your stuff on that side and it'd be like you have your own little room. I could, uh, even pin up a tapestry or two so you have privacy..."  
Mike rubbed the back of his neck, looking off at nothing as his voice trailed into silence. He seemed so nervous, but genuine about the offer. (Y/N) frowned. There was no way she could take up space in his home like that. She felt a hand grab hers.

"It.. would be a good change of pace to have you around too. I'd make me really happy if you were to become my roommate, even if it's only for a little bit."

(Y/N) stared up at him. Their eyes locked onto each other. A pleading look plagued his hazel orbs. She nodded before she had even processed what he'd said.

She'd do it for him.


End file.
